TheCable

Hauwa Mohammed, 42-year-old female who reportedly fled the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, is back .

Salisu Kwayabura, the state’s commissioner of health, had said Hauwa fled the teaching hospital after her result came positive on Sunday.

He had said a “diligent surveillance and investigation” team was working very hard to track Mohammed and Abbas Hassan, another patient who also fled isolation.

But in a statement on Monday, Isa Gusau, spokesman of Babagana Zulum, the governor, said when Hauwa returned to the hospital, she protested that she did not receive communication from the COVID-19 team on the need to go into isolation.

He said the commissioner admitted that there was lack of communication and tendered an apology to the patient.

“Borno’s commissioner of health and secretary of the state’s high powered response team confirmed on Monday afternoon, that the patient brought herself in a very responsible and medically professional manner which was highly commendable,” Gusau said in a statement.

“Dr. Kwayabura also said even though Hauwa was on self isolation since her sample was taken, a surveillance and investigation team has been deployed to assess risks of infection in line with the protocol of dealing with epidemics and pandemics.

“With Hauwa’s return, all COVID-19 patients in Borno state are now fully accounted for.”

The Borno government had earlier announced that Abbas had returned to the isolation centre.