Doctors Without Borders confirms death of aid worker who contracted COVID-19 in Borno

Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation of French origin has confirmed the death of one of its aid workers to COVID-19 in Maiduguri, Borno state.

The NGO made the disclosure in a statement on Monday morning while reacting to panic over the weekend after a retired anesthetic nurse died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital of suspected complications resulting from COVID19 infection.

In the statement, Doctors Without Borders said their deceased staff died on Saturday April 18th and that a test carried indicated the deceased staff was positive for COVID-19.

The international aid group said it was supporting Nigeria’s health ministry “in contact tracing.”

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Chinese billionaire Jack Ma sends second batch of medical supplies to Nigeria, others

MSF insisted it “will continue to operate, providing essential treatment for communities in Nigeria.

“In all our projects and in order to protect our staff and patients, MSF teams have strengthened infection prevention measures, hygiene facilities, infection control and the establishment of isolation spaces,” it said.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said the deceased health worker “had no travel history outside of Borno State and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Kallon said “humanitarian actors have adapted their way of working to prevent the spread of the virus” in the region.

“A COVID-19 treatment facility and a testing laboratory have been established in Maiduguri and a second treatment facility is being developed,” he said in statement.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now