Comedian Sydney Talker slams health authorities as he shows signs of COVID-19

Comedian Sydney Talker has cried out for help after several hospitals rejected him despite showing signs of COVID-19.

The comedian had first contacted the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on how he could be tested to know if the sickness he had had anything to do with COVID-19.

NCDC responded via a tweet: "We received several messages & calls, over an Instagram video. The individual was said to be very sick & reported that NCDC did not respond. We have reached out to him and he said what he did was a SKIT. He is well Pls respect the call and message lines. Do not spread panic".

Sydney Talker responded: "What kind of lie is this??? you didn’t reach out to me and I wasn’t doing a skit. Please all I want is to be tested because the symptoms get worse by the day"

Sydney Talker then went on to narrate what he went through at the hands of medical professionals before he decided to cry out on social media.

He wrote: "My symptoms continued to persist and I reached out to the @LSMOH through the hotlines all to no avail before contacting them on Twitter via @08000CORONAwhere I got a call the following morning.

"I was told to get a cough syrup and mix lemon in hot water and take these liquids every morning and evening. I carried out these practices for 2 days with a little relief or so I thought, up until yesterday where I had serious difficulty breathing.

"I was rushed to a private hospital where I was rejected because of my symptoms, and was referred to the Mainland Hospital (Formerly Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos).

"Upon my arrival at the Mainland Hospital, the doctors on ground reluctantly attended to the case after questioning me.

"Some of the doctors dismissed it almost immediately stating that the signs and symptoms plus possible confirmed contact did not fit the profile of a COVID 19 case.

"A sample was eventually collected for testing after we insisted on NOT leaving without a test being carried out. While the test was ongoing 2 persons were immediately admitted into the Isolation Ward based on the fact that they had possible contact with a confirmed case.

"We were later referred again from the Mainland Hospital to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for medical examination.  On getting to LUTH we were halted at the entrance of the Accident & Emergency Ward and told to wait outside.

"We were questioned from a distance on the symptoms I was experiencing. After questioning, the doctor said this was a possible case of COVID 19 and referred us back to Mainland Hospital Yaba stating that they do not have adequate gear and facilities to handle such a case.

"All these took place within the hours of 11pm and 5am while I was still having difficulty breathing, dry cough and my hands and feet were numb.

"We eventually decided to head back home as there was no HOPE in sight of being attended to. We placed a call across to a Nigerian trained Consultant based in the US who prescribed some medications to subdue the symptoms and instructed us to carry out certain tests.

"I’ll be going live on Instagram tomorrow morning by 9:00 am to give a proper account of everything that happened yesterday night"

What kind of lie is this??????????? you didn’t reach out to me and I wasn’t doing a skit. Please all I want is to be tested because the symptoms get worse by the day https://t.co/Crgs2ucIZK

— ??e ?owel g?y (@sydney_talker) March 27, 2020