How Abba Kyari’s health reportedly took a turn for the worse hours before he was to be discharged

The late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, had reportedly shown signs of recovery and was hours from being discharged from the hospital before his condition unexpectedly got worse and eventually led to his death.

According to The Nation, Abba Kyari received some members of his family in the hospital on Wednesday, April 15, and he even walked around his isolation area to show his fitness.

Members of the family were expecting his discharge on Friday, April 17.

Unfortunately, Kyari died at First Cardiology Consultants Hospital in Lagos on Friday from what the Lagos State government described as complications of Coronavirus infection.

Witnesses told The Nation of massive police presence at the private facility on the day he died.

The complications in his health were said to have arisen from diabetes and respiratory tract infections.

The Nation adds that the late Chief of Staff neither consulted the Presidential Task Force on the campaign against COVID-19 nor the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before deciding on private treatment in Lagos.

According to the said report, officials of PTF and NCDC only read the announcement of his relocation to a private hospital in Lagos like other Nigerians.

It was also gathered that he did not avail himself of expertise advice by NCDC and medical teams.

A top source said to the publication: “We read his statement on his decision to move to Lagos for private treatment like every Nigerian. He did not seek any advisory from the PTF and NCDC.

“And since he said he did not want to overburden the public health sector, we allowed him to have his way. We could not have stopped him because it was a private health option and he went to a designated hospital for COVID-19 treatment.

“We respected his decision because of underlying health challenges he had which he wanted the hospital to manage with COVID-19.

“It was not the Federal Government that took him to the First Cardiology Consultants hospital in Lagos.

“In essence, he was not NCDC patient in the real sense of it.”

A source said the family was confident that Kyari would survive Coronavirus.

The source said: “As at Wednesday, Kyari was seen walking round his isolation area when some members of his family came on a visit. His health improvement gave a ray of hope that he was fast recovering.

“In fact, words had gone round to his relations that he might be discharged on Friday. But he died following relapse, occasioned by diabetes and respiratory tract infections in the evening of Friday. How his condition changed for the worse shocked all the medics around him. He died between 9pm and 10 pm.

“So, he died of COVID-19 and underlying factors or complications.”

Lagos State Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi confirmed that Kyari died of complications.

The statement said: “Following enquiries on the passing away of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mallam Abba Kyari on Friday 17th April 2020, the Lagos State Government states that:

“Mallam Abba Kyari died from complications of Coronavirus infection at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos. This hospital is a Lagos State designated high care, biosecurity-compliant, COVID-19 facility, accredited by the Health Facility Management and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

“As a basis for accreditation, First Cardiology Consultants established a separate specialist wing with staff dedicated to the treatment of complicated cases of COVID-19, under the supervision of the Lagos State COVID-19 emergency response team.”

It was revealed that Kyari’s presence in the hospital was treated with topmost secret. 

A notice pasted at the gate of the hospital announced that the institution does not handle COVID-19 cases. Visitors were also notified of conditions to meet before entry can be granted.

The relative of a patient who spoke to the publication said the hospital had made it clear that they do not treat COVID-19 patients. She added that before the hospital took in her aunt, who had difficulty breathing and was on oxygen, they were asked to go elsewhere for COVID-19 screening first.

The relative added in her statement to The Nation: “It takes three days for the result to come out and we had to wait. It was when the result came back negative that they accepted to treat our relative.

“So, people are surprised to discover now that Mallam Kyari who was publicly known to have COVID-19 was admitted here.”