Nigerian university suspends professor for concealing info on suspected virus case

Nigerian professor Kazeem Salami has been suspended by the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for concealing vital information about a suspected Covid-19 case in Kwara State.

The country’s Premium Times reported how hospital authorities accused Salami, who also served as a senior consultant at UITH and is a specialist in infectious and non-infectious pulmonary diseases, of concealing vital information from his colleagues related to a suspected case who died at the hospital last Thursday.

The deceased, Muhideen Obanimomo, who died aged 57, had reportedly visited the hospital’s emergency unit “on the advice of the professor” who also happens to be the person who brought the patient to the hospital after finding him practising self-isolation.

Furthermore, the information on the patient’s self-isolation was reportedly concealed from the frontline medical personnel at first contact in the emergency room.

Hospital management considered these actions highly unethical.

Obanimomo had recently returned to the Nigerian city of Ilorin from the UK.

According to reports, state government had earlier denied that Obanimomo’s death was related to Covid-19, however, samples taken from his wife had recently tested positive for the virus.

These two cases are currently the city’s only two confirmed cases.

According to All Africa, Nigeria has to date recorded 238 Covid-19 cases, 35 recoveries and five deaths.

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