COVID-19 patients in Gombe state took over the federal highway linking Gombe to Borno state to protest against poor treatment melted to them at isolation centre.
The patients forced their way out of the COVID-19 isolation centre located at Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of the state.
The patients said they were not properly cared for, and that their conditions had worsened and they prefer to get outside for self-medication and proper care.
The patients, numbering 20, accused the health personnel of not giving them any drugs for treatment.
According to the protesters, prior to being confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, they were treating other ailments which they said was neglected since their isolation at the health centre over a week ago.
Some of the patients said they were treating other ailments like ulcer.
A female patient said she was treating abscess.
They complained that the medical personnel at the facility were not attending to their ailments.
Commenting on the protest, Commissioner of Information and Culture, Alhassan Ibrahim Kwami, said the patients protested because they misunderstood their coronavirus status.
He said all the patients at the Isolation centre are asymptomatic, so there is no need to give them any drug.
He said other reasons for their protest, which included the claim that government was not taking care of their families, are unfounded, “because the government is not responsible for looking after their families while they are in isolation.”
