The late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, was hours from being discharged on Friday before his condition unexpectedly relapsed.
Kyari died at First Cardiology Consultants Hospital in Lagos on Friday from what the Lagos State government yesterday described as complications of coronavirus infection.
Witnesses told The Nation of massive police presence at the private facility on the fateful day, apparently after he was certified dead.
Sources said Kyari had shown signs of recovery which was a sign that he could be discharged only for his condition to take a plunge.
It was learnt that he even received some members of his family Wednesday in the hospital and walked around his isolation area to show his fitness.
Members of the family were said to be expecting his discharge on Friday.
The complications in his health were said to have arisen from diabetes and respiratory tract infections.
The Lagos State government confirmed last night that Kyari died of complications.
It was also learnt that the late Chief of Staff neither consulted the Presidential Task Force on the campaign against COVID-19 nor the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) deciding on private treatment in Lagos.
Officials of PTF and NCDC only read the announcement of his relocation to a private hospital in Lagos like other Nigerians.
It was gathered that he did not avail himself of expertise advice by NCDC and medical teams.
A source said the family was confident that Kyari would survive the coronavirus disease.
The source said: “As at Wednesday, Kyari was seen walking round his isolation area when some members of his family came on a visit. His health improvement gave a ray of hope that he was fast recovering.
“In fact, words had gone round to his relations that he might be discharged on Friday. But he died following relapse, occasioned by diabetes and respiratory tract infections in the evening of Friday. How his condition changed for the worse shocked all the medics around him. He died between 9pm and 10 pm.
“So, he died of COVID-19 and underlying factors or complications.”
Lagos details how Abba Kyari died
Lagos State Health Commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi confirmed that Kyari died of complications
The statement said: “Following enquiries on the passing away of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mallam Abba Kyari on Friday 17th April 2020, the Lagos State Government states that:
“Mallam Abba Kyari died from complications of coronavirus infection at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos. This hospital is a Lagos State designated high care, biosecurity-compliant, COVID-19 facility, accredited by the Health Facility Management and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
“As a basis for accreditation, First Cardiology Consultants established a separate specialist wing with staff dedicated to the treatment of complicated cases of COVID-19, under the supervision of the Lagos State COVID-19 emergency response team.”
Abba Kyari did not consult PTF, NCDC
The Nation reports that the late Kyari did not consult either the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before opting for personal treatment.
A top source said: “We read his statement on his decision to move to Lagos for private treatment like every Nigerian. He did not seek any advisory from the PTF and NCDC.
“And since he said he did not want to overburden the public health sector, we allowed him to have his way. We could not have stopped him because it was a private health option and he went to a designated hospital for COVID-19 treatment.
“We respected his decision because of underlying health challenges he had which he wanted the hospital to manage with COVID-19.
“It was not the Federal Government that took him to the First Cardiology Consultants hospital in Lagos.
“In essence, he was not NCDC patient in the real sense of it.”
