Connect with us

health

Stigmatising COVID-19 patients may cause depression, CMD warns

Published




The Chief Medical Director, Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, Dr Akintunde Ogunfeyimi, has urged Nigerians not to stigmatise COVID-19 patients discharged from isolation centres.

Ogunfeyimi in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday warned that stigmatisation might drift such patients into depression.

According to him, stigmatisation kills faster than the virus itself.

He called on the people to adhere strictly to precautionary measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus.

He reiterated that the measures are: regular washing of hands with soap and water, applying alcohol-based sanitiser, maintaining social distancing and wearing of face masks.

“Nigeria’s take things for granted, why do we need to stigmatise someone who is discharged from the isolation centre since the person has tested negative for COVID-19?

“Stigmatising COVID-19 patients might lead to depression which kills faster than the virus itself.

“In case we know any COVID-19 patient who has been discharged from the isolation centre, we should desist from stigmatising the person but learn from the person’s experience,” he said.

The chief medical director also said that COVID-19 is real and urged the people not to feign ignorance of the deadly virus.

He advised that anyone with the symptoms of common cold, high fever, dry cough and headache should immediately visit the government hospital for a proper check-up to know his/her status.

Advertisement
Comments



Trending