NHS nurse, 51, who died of coronavirus had warned about lack of PPE

AN "ANGEL" nurse who died from coronavirus had previously warned about a lack of personal protective equipment.

Onyenachi Obasi, 51, was named as the latest healthcare hero to be announced as the death toll of NHS and social care workers reached at least 203.

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The mum-of-one had been working as a health visitor and nurse in Newham, east London, when she contracted Covid-19.

The Nigerian mum-of-one died five weeks after first being placed on a ventilator at Queen's Hospital, Romford.

Her niece, Ijeoma Uzoukwu, said Ms Obasi had spoken out about PPE shortages before falling ill.

She said: “She was on the frontline and from what we know she wasn’t protected.

“I don't know too much about it but she did mention to my mum that she wasn’t protected properly.

“That’s all I know at the moment.”

Ms Obasi, who had been living in Barking and Dagenham, worked as a nurse for 20 years.

She had no underlying health conditions and told her family that she felt a duty to work, and help, during the pandemic.

Ms Uzoukwu, 30, said: “She has always cared for people. That’s all she knew and what she was really good at. It’s sad that she’s lost her life caring for people. It’s a desperate irony.

She was on the frontline and from what we know she wasn’t protected.

“She was an angel, a really sweet woman. There are hundreds of hearts that have been broken.”

Ms Obasi fell ill after caring for a Covid-19 patient before being admitted to hospital.
She died in the early hours of May 6 and had no underlying health conditions.

The tragic death toll includes nurses, doctors, paramedics and care home workers, as well as hospital pharmacists, porters, cleaners and patient drivers.

Ms Uzoukwu is organising a to help pay for her aunt's funeral and to also help provide for her 19-year-old son, who is vulnerable and was dependent on her.

She said: "It was just the two of them, and he relied on her for so much.

";She was his best friend. We want to make sure his is looked after and supported."

DEVASTATING DEATHS

More than 100 NHS workers have been killed by the bug since the pandemic started.

In April, the number of NHS workers killed by coronavirus nearly doubled in a week.

There have been particular fears that NHS staff from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are more at risk.

A letter from NHS England recently urged health trusts to "risk-assess" BAME workers and make "appropriate arrangements" which could include moving those from ethnic minority backgrounds away from the front line to non-patient facing roles.

The first ten doctors in the UK to die from coronavirus were also all of BAME background, with many born overseas.

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