PROF A.K SALAMI OF UNILORIN TEACHING HOSPITAL – A MISCONSTRUED HERO!

BY ANONYMOUS// I have read sad commentaries about the Kwara index case of CONVID-19 and how a Professor of Medicine who specializes in pulmonary disease, HIV and other infectious diseases is being blamed for it possible spread.

Ignorance indeed is a disease greater than CONVID-19 and has been displayed by our people Unfortunately, we are a developing nation and this has been our narrative.

Who is professor A.K Salami?

A gentle man that love to see humanity in good health in sound mind and prosperity. He has being treating people living with HIV for more than 13years in UITH, giving them hope with his team. He runs his clinics regularly and he’s one of the easiest consultants to come in contact with face to face.

Infectious diseases and stigmatisation:

For an experienced caregiver, stigmatisation kills faster than even the disease, hence divulging patient information to those that could not handle it can be dangerous for the patient, the family and by extension the community, except of course for those that needs it for treatment.

Who is to be blamed for the Kwara index case:

The index case was a returnee from England, how did he beat the infection control team at the airport?

He went into self isolation after returning from England.

He called his friend when he felt uncomfortable. The friend (a medical doctor) attended to him at home, these are steps contained in the protocol of CONVID-19. He was taken to the state isolation centre after spending 12days out of the specified 14days in isolation, he was turned back under the pretence that the centre only accepts confirmed cases before he was taken to UITH, the only tertiary health facility in the state.

He died 45mins after getting to UITH. The whole world now cries that the Professor didn’t reveal his travel history, of all what to reveal of a dying man within 45mins.

Is the Professor a member of Wuhan team that unleashed the terror on the world?
Is the Professor a member of NCDC/FG that should have been more proactive in total lockdown of our border to prevent entry or exit?
Is the Professor the Government (State/FG) that should have made test kits available to all and sundry, even for voluntary testing
What would have happened if the travel history have been revealed- every one would have abandoned the patient to die a painful death despite been an unconfirmed case.
Why didn’t the public hear from the Professor before crucifying him?

Let’s empathize with the family of the deceased, let’s pray for the protection of care givers/ the frontliners. Care givers are at grave risk at a time like this the even in the advanced world, despite knowing the status of the patients. Corona virus is spreading and reaching everywhere without any professor helping it. Care givers should be on guard always, especially at Isolation centres, Accident and Emergency and when attending to patient. Government should make available whatever is necessary to protect care givers and curtail the spread of the virus. If we kill Professor Salami today, who do we kill tomorrow? May God save us from hatred and put love in our hearts.

May the virus varnish as quickly as it come.