“We Were Not Given A Single Drug, They Only Gave Us Food Everyday” – Niger COVID-19 Patients

Some coronavirus patients in Niger State have decried the inhuman and shabby treatment meted to them by the state government during their stay at the isolation centre and upon their discharge.

The patients, who spoke to reporters on Sunday in Minna, revealed that since their arrival at the isolation center, they have not received any single drug for treatment of the coronavirus disease.

One of the discharged patients who was picked up from Zumba in Shiroro local government, said that he was expecting to be treated and given drugs throughout his stay at the isolation centre but none was administered to him except food.

“I expected that I will undergo some treatment, but apart from food, nothing was given to me in the form of treatment. They did not give me a single drug.

“They only give us food every day that is all. No single drug, not even paracetamol was given to me throughout the 14 days” he said.

The patient further disclosed that his mother and other relations who were also picked up and quarantined with him were also treated shabbily.

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He stated that after their discharge, they were not provided with transportation and were told to find their way adding that money for transportation was not given to them.

“They just came and asked us to go. They did not tell us how we would move neither did they consider that we may not have any money to transport us home.

“We trekked from the isolation centre at the back of the police secondary school to the main road. From there, we trekked to Dutsen Kuran Gwari before someone assisted us to Sabon Gari junction.

“It was at Sabon Gari that a commercial vehicle carried us to Zumba before we now borrowed money from our people to pay the driver”.

Some of the patients said that the isolation centre where they were kept was overcrowded and some of them had to sleep on the floor due to insufficient beddings.

They also claimed that despite being tested positive of COVID-19, they were not re-tested but were only told that they are negative and can return home.

KanyiDaily had also reported how some coronavirus patients hit the streets to protest over inadequate medical attention at the Kwadon Isolation Centre in Gombe State.