ACTING Hwedza District Medical Officer Dr Herbert Bandiki reportedly chased after a Covid-19 patient who had escaped from a quarantine room, bringing business at the centre to a halt.
The man, who had tested positive for Covid-19, could not
stomach being quarantined and reportedly took to his heels after taking
advantage of laxity in security.
In an interview with H-Metro, Dr Bandiki confirmed the
drama urging Covid-19 positive patients to cooperate with medical teams.
“Yes, we have a 23-year-old man who ran away from the
isolation ward at Hwedza Hospital on Wednesday the 7th of July 2021.
“What happened is that when he came to the hospital, he
showed symptoms of pneumonia, having some difficulties in breathing and we
admitted him.
“As is the procedure, we admitted the patient, administered
drugs, and in the afternoon, maybe he thought he felt better.
“So when I was about to get another injection whilst the
patient was in the ward, he ran out of the isolation ward. When we were trying
to apprehend him, this patient was violent that we then tried to get help form
the police.
“Currently, the patient is being monitored at his
homestead. We then tested the mother who came out negative and the other
contacts he met,” said Dr Bandiki.
Asked how the patient turned violent, he narrated: “He
picked up some bricks from a nearby construction site and threatened to attack
people who were trying to apprehend him.”
On whether the hospital security, medical team and other
staff assisted him, Dr Bandiki detailed:
“Yes and I was one of those who ran after him through a
nearby bush area. We then contacted the police and finally our environmental
health officer went to that homestead and did some health education there.
“The patient is recovering very well at home, his mother
even confirmed that he is difficult to convince when it comes to injections,”
he said.
On what must be done to curb the injection phobia during
and after Covid-19 era, he added:
“We might not say something which is broad, we need to know
our patients, we need to know what they prefer and we are supposed to also give
them some treatment alternatives, so I think as for this case, we were supposed
to have discussed some treatment alternatives.
“It is not that this patient was not aware of the condition
that he had, he knew the condition that he had and he complied, he was admitted
initially, then came the issue of injection, that is when he escaped, so I
think it’s a matter of discussing with our patient what the mode of treatment
they prefer and other options we can offer the patient.”
He also expressed his concern over people not wearing masks
as well as people gathering for public services like transport. H Metro
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