COVID-19: Unilorin Teaching Hospital Suspends Top Official

The management of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has suspended Professor Alakija Salami, a senior consultant at the hospital over controversy of the COVID-19 patient who died in the hospital.

Prof. Alakija Salami, a senior consultant at the hospital was suspended over his alleged role in covering up the health status of the coronavirus patient, a UK returnee who died at the hospital.

The hospital authorities had been accused of covering up the circumstances that led to the death of the patient.

However, the management of the hospital in a statement on Sunday, April 5, said the travel history of the deceased was concealed by the family.

In latest development, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, attributed the controversy surrounding the case to lack of full disclosure, which he said was a breach of protocol.

The governor had said his administration was expecting the outcome of the internal investigation of the incident by the UITH before taking further steps.

Two cases of the disease were later confirmed in the state. One is the wife of the late UK returnee while the second case is another UK returnee.

Salami’s suspension was announced in a statement released on Monday night by David Odaibo, UITH director of administration.

He said the top official was suspended “as a result of his conduct in the management of a COVID-19 patient”.

“The Management of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital hereby suspends Prof A.K. Salami as a Senior Consultant in the hospital. 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 read.