Family accused hotel staff of foul play, insists on autopsy
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Where was third confirmed Covid -19 case in Rivers State infected with the virus? This is a question that has been spinning controversies in Port Harcourt, the State capital in the past few days.
The initial speculation was that the Covid-19 infected person, a 61- year- old manager contracted the virus from his late boss and proprietor of the popular Mingi Hotels, Port Harcourt, Chief Kelvin Alagoa.
The Mingi Hotels manager was said to have contracted Covid-19 from while he was attending to the late Alagoa while he was ill.
This claim has led to fears in Port Harcourt that other staff of the hotel may have also been infected by the late Alagoa.
The manager who is now being treated for Covid-19 allegedly visited a side laboratory, “Mercyland Clinic” and a nurse also visited his house to treat him when he took ill.
The speculations making the rounds in Port Harcourt was that due to the death of the owner of the Mingi Hotel and the positive outcome of the Covid-19 test conducted on the Manager, the entire Rumuomasi-Elekahia axis in Port Harcourt is very high risk area for the virus.
There were claims that five other workers of the hotel are already manifesting symptoms of Covid-19 and there is fear of community spread in the environment.
The late Alagoa was also said to have sought medical help from Port Harcourt based Pamo Clinics and Hospital Limited before his death.
However, the management of the Hospital denied ever treating the late Alagoa, asserting that he was never their patient.
“Chief Alagoa presented in our facility for first time at about 8.00pm on 27 the March 2020 and for COVID-19 test which alerted the Staff on duty for full implementation of precautionary measures.
“That Chief Alagoa was told we do not conduct such test and was immediately referred to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital,(UPTH).The phone numbers of NCDC and the Rivers Covid-19 Response Team were given to him to contact,” the management of the hospital said in a statement.
Pamo Hospital said after referring him to UPTH, they contacted the late Alagoa the next day who said he had contacted NCDC and Rivers Covid-19 Response Team who asked him to isolate himself.
Pamo Clinics and Hospitals said it put out the information to correct the misinformation Public domain.
However, the family of Alagoa is alleging foul play in the death of the late hotel proprietor. They claim that he may have been murdered, insisting that an autopsy should be conducted on his remains, while affirming that they will not accept that he died of Covid-19.
Speaking for the family, the elder sister of the late Alagoa, Mrs Jennifer Alagoa-Amaehule, said the hotel proprietor died on April 5 and his body was deposited in mortuary on April 7, affirming that the hotel staff are not saying the truth about how their proprietor died.
She also noted that statements made by some of staff of the hotel to the Police on how Alagoa died are conflicting and contradictory.
But the Rivers Commissioner for Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, has dismissed reports that Rumuomasi and Elekahia Communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government area is infected by COVID-19 due to the confirmed case of the hotel manager.
Professor Chike spoke to journalists during a fumigation exercise of bus-stops carried out by a private firm, Bob Truck, as part of its contribution to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Port Harcourt.
The Commissioner, however, said samples have been taken from the corpse of the hotel proprietor for Covid-19 test.
He warned against rumours that were not verified so as not to scare people away from the state.
Professor Chike added that residents of the state are being evasive in volunteering for testing, noting that the ministry has embarked on targeted and facility search, not waiting for people to call and informed of a suspected case.
On his path, the managing Director and CEO of Bob Truck, Ibifri Bobmanuel said the company as part of it cooperate social responsibility decided to disinfect the bus-stops because it is the first point of contact for all persons coming into the state.
He added that the firm disinfected 60 bus-stops in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt city Local Government area and will also carry out similar activities at markets in the state.