The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has suspended a Senior Consultant with the hospital, Prof. Alakija Salami for the role he played in the case of a suspected COVID-19 patient who died in its care.
The management in a statement signed by Mr. David Odaibo, the Director of Administration of UITH, on Monday, said that the suspension was as a result of alleged unethical conduct in the admission, management and eventual release of the corpse of a suspected COVID-19 patient.
Odaibo stated that the patient died in the hospital on April 3.
The hospital accused Salami of allegedly concealing the travel history of the deceased who was said to be a relative of his.
Salami, a specialist in infectious diseases, allegedly brought the patient and told the hospital that the patient only has history of abdominal discomfort and stooling, following ingestion of rotten pineapples.
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According to Odaibo, the patient was then admitted and managed as a case of ‘food poisoning’ until he died in the early hours of the following day.
Being a Muslim, his corpse was released to the family for burial according to Muslim rites.
It was after the deceased burial that the hospital was anonymously informed that the man had recently returned from the UK.
Meanwhile, the deceased wife had tested positive for the coronavirus.
