Posted on: Tue 14-04-2020

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, has advocated sanctions for patients, and their relations who conceal information to health workers. The Director, LUTH Legal Services, Mr Sesan Olajide, in a statement on Monday, said there was the need for legal framework that prescribe penalty for any patient or relation that concealed health status and travel history to caregivers.

He said health care personnel would not be able to give their best when they were not sure of their own safety in the course of their duties. “It is not debatable that failure to provide correct travel history exposes healthcare personnel to actual harm or risk of harm.

“Therefore, it is being suggested that Covid-19 Specific Laws and Regulations should make it mandatory for persons seeking medical care or persons accompanying them to make full disclosure about travels in and out of Nigeria.

“Failure to do so or concealment or misleading information in that regard, should attract severe punishment. “Concealing information from healthcare personnel could not only be detrimental to the patient, but may expose caregivers, other patients and the public to risk of harm or actual harm.

“This was seen in the recent cases of patients that presented at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital whose travel histories were concealed. “They were later discovered after their deaths that they had recently returned from abroad, a red flag, that could have influenced decisions about their management,” the statement read in part.

Source: Punch

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