The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has announced the immediate suspension of Professor A. K. Salami over his unprofessional handling of a COVID-19 patient.
The suspension of the well respected senior consultant was announced on Monday evening in a statement signed by David Odaibo, Director of Administration for Chief Medical Director.
“The Management of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital hereby suspend Prof A K Salami as a Senior Consultant in the hospital,” the statement said.
“This is as a result of his unethical conduct in the admission, management and eventual release of the corpse of a suspected COVID-19 patient who died in the hospital on the 3rd of April, 2020,” the statement added.
A source close to the hospital told Chronicle NG that the suspended doctor admitted a United Kingdom returnee who had symptoms of COVID-19 without reporting the matter to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“The said patient was returning from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. He arrived Lagos and called his friend who is a doctor (Prof Salami) in practice in Offa that he was not feeling well,” the source said.
“Prof Salami allegedly asked him to come to Offa for treatment. Although the man had started developing symptoms, he kept treating him at home.
“When his patient’s health deteriorated he took him to UITH in Ilorin,” the source explained.
“He didn’t tell the nurses the nature of his sickness. The nurses tried to stabilise him but the man died the next day. The patient was then transported to Offa to be buried.
“The doctor was asked to conduct a test before transporting him but he refused to do so. The Kwara Task Force heard what had happened and immediately told his wife to go into isolation and get tested,” the source said.
“Her result returned positive,” the source added.
The insider said the actions of the doctor stunned everyone at UITH because he is a highly respected professional.
“It is like he was not in his right senses. He is the head of infectious disease and also the one in charge of teaching medical students about ethics, he was the last person we expected this from.”
