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Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Fresh facts have emerged on how the Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, and some other members of the management team of the teaching hospital contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
It was alleged that Otegbayo and others contracted COVID-19 from a top member of the Board of Management of UCH, who is currently now in an isolation centre of the hospital.
The provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and the deputy provost, who were said to be at the meeting, also tested positive for coronavirus.
Related: COVID-19: CMD of UCH, UI College of Medicine Provost, Deputy Provost test postive
The chairman boarded a flight that landed in Lagos on Sunday, March 22nd at about 9 am. He was said to have travelled by road from Ikeja Airport to Ibadan. He was said to have been received by UCH officials, who lodged him in a hotel at Agodi GRA area of Ibadan.
The board chairman came to Ibadan for a week-long board meeting of UCH, which was scheduled to commence on Monday, March 23rd.
The opening of the meeting was reportedly held in the board room of UCH on Monday and the meeting venue was subsequently moved to a more spacious Theophilus Ogunlesi Multi-purpose Hall in the same hospital. The purpose of the venue change was to ensure that all the participants observed the tenets of social distancing to guard against the spread of COVID-19.
The chairman, according to a source, manifested symptoms of COVID-19 halfway into the meeting and the meeting ended abruptly, saying: “It was at that moment that his sample was taken to ascertain his health status. And that was how the meeting which was billed for a week was brought to an abrupt end with officials awaiting the chairman’s results sent to Lagos for COVID-19 test.
“The result didn’t arrive in Ibadan until Friday and he was confirmed positive. That was the time other management and board members knew there was a problem. He was, thereafter, moved into isolation and quarantined at the infectious decease centre of the hospital.
“Remember the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, alerted the public on Saturday that his sample was taken and that result was positive, prompting him to inform other hospital management members to also isolate and release their blood samples for tests. Both the Provost and Deputy Provost of the College of Medicine were already tested positive to COVID-19.”
As gathered, offices of the management staff of the hospital were under lock on Monday as they were said to have gone into self-isolation because they probably had contact with the board chairman.
Blood samples of some senior staff, working directly with the CMD, were also said to have been taken and they have gone into isolation, pending the time the results of their blood samples would be released.
The Public Relations Officer of UCH, Toye Akinrinlola, when contacted, simply said: “I am presently working from home and not in the mood to know what is happening as we speak.
“There was board meeting as you have analysed but the hospital is on top of everything as the management had mobilised officials to work round the clock to end further spread and provide adequate medical attention to our patients.”
