By Oyinlola Awonuga (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment Fashion and Sports Desk)
Raymond Dokpesi jnr, Chairman of DAAR Communications, who tested positive for COVID-19 almost three weeks ago, has shared experience on how he recovered from the viral infection.
Dokpesi jnr, his father and founder of DAAR Communications, Raymond Dokpesi alongside his two children have now all recovered and discharged from the University of Abuja Isolation Centre after contracting the virus.
Speaking on Friday, the DAAR chairman thanked the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the medical team at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital where he was treated for their efforts.
He said: “My sojourn at the Gwagwalada isolation centre was an eye-opening experience which imbued me with confidence in the unabated enthusiasm and commitment of Nigerian public health workers to serve and ensure the welfare of each of their patients.
“With praise and glory to Almighty God, I started feeling immediate improvement in my wellbeing once the combination of azithromycin, chloroquine and zinc were administered to me by Wednesday, 29th April, 2020.
“My senses of smell and taste which were lost since the time I arrived at the facility were restored by Friday, 1st May, 2020.
“All my vital signs including temperature, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation improved and have consistently shown excellent readings since.
“The oxygen machine which was brought to my room became redundant,” Dokpesi Junior expressed his gratitude to the medical team that took care of him.
But he said the experience has revealed the practical limitations in the nation’s healthcare system, saying that with more attention, government’s efforts aimed at stopping COVID-19 spread can be achieved and sustained.
He observed that no documentary evidence was given to him to indicate that he was COVID-19 positive by the NCDC.
“Whilst I can attest to my improvement in physical health and wellbeing, I regret to say that since my initial test to date, I have never seen any documentary evidence of any test result,” he stated.
“I take it in trust and good faith that the NCDC pronounced me COVID-19 positive and that they have now also pronounced me COVID-negative.
“I will appreciate it if the documentary records of the various tests on me and members of my family are made available for our medical records.
“Unless a spotlight is beamed on our testing facilities, capacity and documentation there is an immediate risk that patients will lose confidence in the statements of public healthcare providers, but more significantly, we will fail to move the needle forward in the battle against COVID-19 itself.”
It would be recalled that three days after Dokpesi Jnr tested positive, his father and seven members of his family also tested positive for coronavirus.
