The chairman of the hospital’s branch of the Association of Resident Doctors, Abubakar Nagoma, confirmed this on Monday in Kano.
He said the doctors got infected while treating patients who came to the hospital with symptoms that later turned to be COVID-19.
Mr Nagoma said the affected health professionals include resident doctors who are undergoing training and consultant doctors.
“We have resident and consultant doctors that were tested positive of COVID-19 in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital,” he said.
“About ten doctors are confirmed positive with COVID-19. Eight of them are already in isolation centre, while the remaining two are in self isolation at their homes because they do not have any symptom. All their close contact have been traced.
“There are more test results that are yet to be out for doctors and other health workers of the hospital that were screened last week. The number of those screened are almost hundred. We are expecting the results likely within the week to know the fate of health workers of the hospital,” Mr Nagoma said.
He attributed the vulnerability of the doctors to non-use of face masks by patients when coming to hospitals and lack of adequate personal protective equipment for doctors.
He also mentioned the deliberate hoarding of information by some patients.
“On our part, we lack protective equipments. And you will see many doctors at accident and emergency unit of the hospital wearing only face masks. This is the only protection we have in addition to hand gloves and hand sanitiser. This is not the standard protection protocol guidelines according to NCDC. If you have any suspected (COVID-19) patient, you suppose to have boots, suit, face mask, goggle, cap and also a face shield. These are what is obtainable in a developed world and this the recommendation of National Centre for Disease Control. To be sincere we don’t have them on ground. We don’t have complete protective suit.
