Benue Coronavirus Index Case Moved To Abuja

The index Coronavirus case reported in Benue state, 62-year old Susan Okpe, has been moved to the Isolation centre at the National Hospital Abuja for further treament.

Okpe posted a video online two days ago in which she complained bitterly about the poor condition of the isolation center where she was being treated. In the video that went viral, Okpe insisted that the medical doctor assigned to treat her must identify himself before he can have access to her. This caused a faceoff between herself and the management of the Isolation center.

However a request for her movement to Abuja was sent to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and it was approved today.

Parts of the letter read the evacuation is “necessary so as to ensure proper management and in order to put to rest controversies and panic surrounding her case as well as the need for absolute containment of the Covid -19 in Benue State.” The Minister mandated the Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu and the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, to “facilitate her seamless movement to Abuja.”

Recall that on March 28th, the Benue state government confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The state governor, Samuel Ortom, who made the announcement to newsmen, said Susan Okpe, recently returned from the UK. He told newsmen that his government decided to disclose her name so that anyone who might have had any contact with her within the last two weeks, would come forward for testing and isolation.