From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
Kano state government has managed over 1260 COVID-19 patients through Home-base care since the outbreak of the second wave of the dreaded pandemic.
The Coordinator of Kano COVID-19 Technical Response Team, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini, who stated this during a Media Stakeholders meeting at Africa House, Government House, Kano, on Saturday, added that currently, 189 Corona Virus patients in the state are undergoing treatment through the Home-base Care initiative adopted and developed by Kano state government.
He said Kano is the only state across the federation using the Home-base Care formula, which he described as very effective.
According to him, to effectively curb the second wave devastation of the deadly virus, “we rolled out Home Base care management of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state.”
He further stated that, “Kano is experiencing the gradual increase in COVID-19 cases with the new variant of the virus.
” From 22 November, 2020 to 22 January, 2021, additional 957 new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed thus bringing the total cases in Kano to 2, 730.
“over the last few weeks, the sample positivity rate increased to 12.7 per cent compared to the overall positivity of 4.2 per cent. Number of cases on admission both home based care and hospital admission stands at 325.”
He said a total of 19 deaths were recorded between December, 2020 and January 2021 of which 47.3 per cent were partly managed by private facilities.
For effective management of the second wave of the pandemic, he said Kano state government engaged in aggressive surveillance, infection prevention control, increased sample collection and laboratory tests, as well as adequate care management.
Dr. Tijjani further hinted that Kano state government also made available enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), established sample collection sites across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, conducts community sample collection across seven selected Local Government Areas and also established dedicated state call centre with 24 hours toll free hotlines.
According to him, over 1500 Health care providers have been trained on IPCs skills, while IPC materials were adequately produced and distributed across the state.
He further stated that the response team has also continued targeted sample collection in 73 Wards across identified 19 Local Government Areas of the state.
He, however, decried poor compliance to use of face masks and observance of physical distancing by the public as major challenges, adding that denial of the existence of the disease and misconception of the COVID-19 vaccine pose a great danger.
In his remarks, Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who warned Kano residents that COVID-19 is real, said plans have been concluded to introduce COVID-19 Marshals who will work in collaboration with all security agencies and the para-military in the state to ensure strict compliance of all COVID-19 protocols.
According to him, “we have find ourselves where we have to educate and inform our people on the need to strictly observe all COVID-19 protocols.
” COVID-19 is a reality and it is a fight that we must succeed and I believe we are succeeding. The vehicle of transmission is the proximity between one person and another.
” The major challenge we are facing is the non-compliance of the COVID-19 Protocols by members of the public. We have engaged in public enlightenment, but government must take formal measures—using security agencies and the COVID-19 Marshals to ensure full compliance of all the Protocols. “
