Azare,a town in bauchi state, which is one of the largest towns in Bauchi state, in fact it is the second largest town in the state after the state capital, has recorded over a 100 deaths in just one week and these unusual deaths is suspected to be due to coronavirus complications.
A former lawmaker representing Katagum Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Mohammed Baba, in a letter of appeal, made it known for urgent action to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the deaths due to COVID-19 had thrown the town into great mourning, fear and trembling Healthforbes Media reports.
Baba said the centrality and proximity of Azare to Bauchi, Kano and some major towns and cities in Jigawa State exposed people of the town to the virus.
He said, “Your Excellency, I write to draw your kind attention to the massive outbreak of COVID-19 in Azare town and its environs in Bauchi State, which has already resulted in over 100 deaths in the last seven days and this has thrown the entire area into great mourning, panic and confusion.
“The centrality and proximity of Azare to Bauchi, Kano and some major cities of Jigawa State make the town’s large population vulnerable to the virus due to the already existing large cases of the pandemic disease in those areas.
“Consequently therefore, I wish to appeal to your Excellency to direct the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to reach out immediately to Azare town with all the necessary facilities and palliatives to assist the communities there.
“And to help in this expected effort, if i may draw your attention to the fact that at the Opthamology unit and laboratory have already been built and equipped by the Central Bank of Nigeria at the Azare Federal Medical Centre since 2013 but have not been commissioned nor put to used up till now.
This facility can be repurposed to a Coronavirus test and treatment centre provided the right equipments are added, including ventilators.
“As a matter of life and death, I have high sense of trust in your sense of patriotism and commitment to the well-being of Nigerians that you will assist the beleaguered people of Azare town and environs to overcome this bedeveling situation.”
