The Plateau Government on Sunday confirmed that the death of a National Assembly (NASS) staff, Joel Dewus, was not from COVID-19 as suspected but from other health complications.
The State Commissioner for Health, Mr. Lar Noam, who confirmed the death in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said late Dewus had been in coma for two weeks at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) due to some health complications and not COVID-19.
“As a government, we feel so sorry for the family of Dewus, who brought him in sick from Abuja to his home Town, Mangu, and then JUTH, he was on admission till his death this early morning of Sunday, April 5.
“When he was brought to JUTH from Na Allah Na Kowa Hospital, Mangu, two weeks ago, we took his blood sample and took it to Abuja for COVID-19 test but the result was negative on March 31,” Ndam explained.
He expressed regret over the panic and controversies the late Dewus illness brought upon some residents of Plateau.
“We kept explaining to the public that the NASS staff was suffering from a different ailment and not Coronavirus, yet some refused to believe us.”
Also speaking on the death, the Chairman, Mangu Local Government, Mr. Lawrence Danat, said, “unfortunately the patient died in the early hours of today, Sunday April 5, 2020 of complications from different aliments.”
READ ALSO: Plateau Govt Says It’s Overwhelmed By Contributions To COVID-19 Fund
Danat, in a statement signed by the council’s Information Officer, Mr. Valentine Opiah, expressed regret over the death and sympathised with the family of the deceased.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the ailment, Danat said: “The suspected case of COVID-19 regarding the health challenge of Dewus, who worked with the national assembly, Abuja has been confirmed negative.
“The case was earlier reported to the authorities of Mangu local government area, precisely on Tuesday March 31, 2020 by the relations with a referral letter from Na Allah Na Kowa Hospital and l (Danat) immediately established contact with the Plateau State Taskforce team on COVID-19.
“The Mangu General Hospital was contacted by the Council to provide Ambulance which conveyed the patient to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) where his samples were collected and sent to Abuja for COVID-19 laboratory test.
“Management of Mangu local government council hereby commiserates with the families of the deceased as well as dispel rumours making rounds especially in the social media that there is a case of COVID-19 in the area,” the chairman stated.
The LG boss, however, advised the citizens to constantly maintain personal hygiene by regularly washing their hands on running water with liquid soap and using hand sanitisers as well as observing social distancing in any gathering.
