How serving corps doctor directed me to a hospital in Abuja after Lagos hospital rejected me-Ikpeazu

Former Abia State Governor, , has recounted his 2020 battle with COVID-19 while in office, describing it as a near-death experience.

In an interview with The Nation, he dismissed claims that he was secretly flown abroad, explaining instead that he fell ill at home during a period when air travel was highly restricted. He said a friend, former Ebonyi State Governor , helped secure an aircraft from the Presidential Fleet, which flew him from Owerri to Lagos for treatment

Ikpeazu disclosed that although he tested negative for COVID-19 before the trip, the test was conducted under a different name to avoid public panic. On arrival in Lagos, the hospital reportedly declined to admit him until another test was carried out, despite his already undergoing dialysis.

He added that early dialysis, when medically advised, should not be viewed as a death sentence, noting that he did not require further sessions after his recovery.

Further talking, he said, “I had a smaller doctor; a youth corps member.

“The corps doctor in the midst of the two consultants that were with me, though his voice wasn’t loud, he was like the little housemaid in Naaman’s house.

“He was barely whispering when he told me that he knows a hospital in Abuja that would do well in managing my condition.”

Ikpeazu explained that after the Lagos hospital declined to admit him, he had little choice but to seek care elsewhere. The aircraft subsequently conveyed him to Abuja, where he remained throughout his treatment.

He emphasised that he never left Nigeria, dismissing suggestions that he had been secretly flown abroad. According to him, he received medical care at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre in the Apo area of Abuja, noting that the attending physician remains a close associate.

He added that a dialysis machine was installed at his residence in Abuja, with a doctor and nurse assigned to stay with him. He said he underwent treatment there for between six and eight weeks before regaining his health.