The Head of Public Relations Unit of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Mr Odijie Ohue, has denied that two doctors tested positive for COVID-19 in the centre.

Ohue, however, said he was not in a position to speak on the matter and directed our correspondent to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Sylvanus Okogbenin, who was out of the state.

He said, “However if you want any information, I think you should call the Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital Professor Sylvanus Okogbenin. I am not in a position to make any statement on it.

Calls to Okogbenin’s mobile indicated it was switched off. Response to a text message to the mobile was being awaited as of 11:30pm on Saturday.

However, a top official of the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development.

He said,

“You know, they (the doctors) have been taking exams in the UK Embassy and each time they come we always tell them to go into isolation.

“Anybody that comes from Lagos or UK, we do that to them but this one came in three weeks ago, he is one of our resident doctors and he got flu so we advised him to go for the test and it was positive. He went to the British Embassy, he had passed his exam and had written to resign his appointment, he was supposed to have moved to the UK.

“He went there to go and do some biometrics and others so he must have contracted it from there. The other person was negative but we still tell him to go into isolation and observe the compulsory 14 days’ isolation.”

The source also confirmed that the CMD was in Abuja to train people in how to handle COVID-19.