Mohammed Atiku, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has recovered from the Coronavirus disease to which he tested positive last month.
His recovery comes as Lagos State announced the discharge of 15 patients from its treatment facilities.
Mohammed, who spent 40 days in the hospital, was certified free of the virus and discharged on Monday.
In a statement which he personally signed after he leaving the hospital, Mohammed thanked Nigerians for their support and prayers, even as he urged them to keep praying for those still being treated for the disease.
As at Monday night, Nigeria has 1, 337 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, 255 discharges and 40 deaths.
Mohammed said: “I thank the Almighty Allah for my recovery from the dreaded infection and also wish to express my sincere and deep appreciation to Nigerians for their prayers and goodwill while I was being treated.
“In the course of life, we have no idea of what will happen to us because only the Almighty God knows our future.
“When COVID-19 first broke out in far away China, I had no idea that I might be one of those to be infected. This is one of the everlasting lessons I can’t forget for the rest of my life.
“I have been humbled by this experience. Words cannot sufficiently convey the depth of my joy over my recovery and discharge.
“Since I tested positive after my return from abroad and my isolation for treatment, I was inundated with incredible expressions of goodwill by Nigerians.
“This pandemic has united the rich and the poor and, indeed, the rest of the world against this novel lethal virus that has caused economic and social disruptions globally.
“No matter our problems, however, we shouldn’t lose hope in our own country. Despite the limitations of our health system, the Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control have done tremendously well.
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“Our doctors, nurses and other front line health workers also deserve accolades for their sacrifices and professionalism during this challenging period of our country.
“Every epidemic or pandemic comes with its lessons. The coronavirus has caught the world off guard and sent us reeling for solutions. It also reveals the weaknesses of our health systems in the developing world. It is an eye opening experience for Nigeria and other developing nations.
“Thanks to coronavirus outbreak, we are now coming to terms with the necessity of adequate funding of our healthcare system. This disease has brought the rich, the poor and the powerful to a common level.
“This is the time our policy makers should reset our national priorities and give our health system adequate attention. No investment in our health sector is too much.”
Recalling that way back in October 2016, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, then Minister of State for Health and currently the Minister of Health, had said that Nigeria was spending a whopping 1 billion dollars annually on medical tourism abroad, Mohammed noted that: “That revelation is a reminder of the urgent need to mobilise resources towards upgrading our health system at home in order to render medical tourism almost unnecessary.”
He stressed that now was the time to restore confidence in our own health system adding it can only be achieved by adequate investment and funding.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Ministry of Health on Monday said 15 COVID-19 patients were discharged from the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba and the Onikan Isolation Centre.
The ministry, on its verified Twitter handle, said the patients comprised 11 females and four males, including an India national.
The discharged patients tested negative twice consecutively to COVID-19, hence they were declared free to reunite with their families and society.
This brings the total number of patients successfully managed and discharged in Lagos to 138.
