Fear has enfold residents of Kano metropolis as more people continue to succumb to a strange illness related to malaria symptoms that has hit some parts of kano state causing surge on Kano deaths.
Scores of persons, including elites and prominent sons of Kano state, have been lost to the yet-to-be identified disease, with Dala, Fagge, Tarauni, Nasarawa, Gwale and Kano Municipal worst hit.
Among those already buried are academics, administrators, bankers, media practitioners and business moguls.
One of the victims of the illness, Alhaji Aminu Yahaya, a former Commissioner of Education, died Saturday 25th April 2020 at night hours.
Mallam Aminu died last night. We have just buried him. He suffered from diabetes and came down with little fever few hours before he died,” Alhaji Muhammad Yahaya, a brother to Aminu Yahaya said.
According to our sources, it was indicated that the deaths were not connected to the dreaded novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as none of the deceased had tested positive to the virus.
The Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr Isa Abubakar stated that the disease resulting to the increase in deaths was not related to COVID 19.
According to Dr Isa Abubakar, none of the deceased was confirmed to have exhibited the symptoms of the novel virus.
However,Kano State Government announced that they have begun investigation into the origin of the late upwardness in deaths recorded in Kano city.
The Executive Secretary, Kano State Primary Healthcare Board by name Dr Tijani Husaini, said that the investigation was to inspect the root of the deaths and find the number of victims in Kano city.
Dr Tijani Husaini also said that the state government of Kano state would brief members of the public on the outcome of the findings as soon as the investigation was finished.
Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who’s worrisome about the death surge has also admitted that the health situation in Kano is “getting tougher and tougher by the day”.
In His Words…“Everything is becoming so serious now. But as the situation gets serious, we are surely on top of it. We require testing machines in Kano state and want the FG to bring them.
“It is when we have the machines that we will be able to tackle whatever threat that facing us.”
Dr Umar Ganduje also stated that all those that had tested positive to COVID-19 in the state were in stable condition, adding that none of them was critical to need ventilators.
Their (patients) conditions are still manageable,” he declared.
He explained that due to the shut down of NCDC’s test centre, samples of suspected cases of COVID-19 are being transported to Abuja “despite the cumbersome processes and inconveniences in long distance traveling.
“The Federal Government should hasten their support programme in Kano with adequate testing centres and all the necessary kits to help contain the spread of the disease,” he added.
Dr Umar Ganduje, who commended Kano people for observing the total lockdown, said that the measure is the only remedy to stopping the movement of the pandemic.
“We are requesting to the Federal Government to support Kano the way it supported Lagos and Ogun; we are doing everything within our power to contain the pandemic.”
He explained that the isolation centre at Sani Abacha Stadium donated by Aliko Dangote Foundation, had a 210-bed capacity, while the other one is located at Kwanar-Dawaki where the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is active.
Gov Umar Ganduje said that there are challenges of ventilators and other major facilities at Kwanar Dawaki Isolation centre, while the 100-bed Isolation Centre at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital was being activated.
Citizens of Kano state have urged the state government to intensify awareness creation on the dangers of the novel virus and the need to comply with the stay-at-home rules by federal government.
They also called for more sample collection centres and urged the Kano State government to demonstrate similar commitment to the war against the pandemic as its counterparts in Lagos, Ogun and Edo.
The Lagos state Governor, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has established two testing centres and over 20 sample collection centres; Gov. Seyi Makinde has initiated a mobile sample collection strategy thereby extending the COVID-19 outreach to the grassroots, to enhance effective response and case management of the virus.
Mahmoud Ismail, who’s a medical practitioner advised saying, “My view is that the Kano State Government should do same. We should not wait for the Federal Government’s intervention before responding to the pandemic,”
He also decried the poor environmental sanitation and personal hygiene in Kano state, urging government to step up efforts to rid the city of the dirt dotting every corners.
He stated, “Poor personal hygiene and indiscriminate dumping of waste in residential areas expose the people to health risks and infections. Government must be proactive,”
A health analyst, Mallam Isa Sharif emphasied on the need for the state government to prioritise awareness creation to enlightened the people on the dangers and preventive measures of the novel coronavirus.
Mallam Sharif also said that such campaign was necessary to curtail the spread of the virus and protect the residents of Kano state.