Drama as suspected COVID-19 patient turns to Police for help

 

BY OUR REPORTER

A mild drama played out at Adekunle Police Station, Yaba, on Sunday, when a woman who said she had coronavirus symptoms turned up seeking for help.

She said she had to come to the police station for help after several attempts to reach the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) failed.

The Nation had reported that the woman had tried to reach the COVID-19 toll-free lines since she started developing symptoms without success.

Desperate for survival, she was said to have walked from her residence to Adekunle Police Station, where she stood outside and announced that she had COVID-19.

According to a source, the woman acted responsibly and told everyone at the station to not come near her, explaining that coming to the station was the only option she had.

“It was not funny. The woman said she walked down from her home to the station and that she was very mindful of avoiding contact with other people.

“As soon as she got to the station, she announced that she had COVID-19 and that people should stay away from her. She said she came to the station because she was frustrated from calling the NCDC and isolation centre without success.

“She then said her mind told her to come to the station so that the police can call the ambulance for her,” said a source.

READ: Tinubu, aides test for Coronavirus after death of CSO

It was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the station contacted the isolation centre and an ambulance was sent to the station to carry the woman.

The areas where the woman touched and sat were also decontaminated by the team that came to carry her.

Lagos State Police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed the story to RELIABLESOURCENG.COM when we spoke to him on phone, Sunday night.

“Yes, the woman has been taken into isolation. She must have felt that when she got to the police station, she would get help, and she did,” Elkana told us.

“I understand that the woman in question conducted herself responsibly. She kept a distance from the police station building,” the police PRO said, when asked how police personnel managed the situation.

Asked how many times the police had to call the NCDC helpline to get through, he said, “Once. We dialled once and it got connected.”

He advised that citizens should endeavour to save the numbers and not wait for time of emergency. “Quite a number of people don’t have the numbers until a situation arises. I think there are about four or five of them. People should save those numbers.

On the possibility of more people taking similar approach to rich the NCDC, DSP Elkana said it was an unfortunate reality and that he had wished the incident had not got to the media.

“My fear is that people will now start coming to the police stations when they have challenge getting across to the NCDC,” he regretted.