Strange deaths: FG deploys fact finding delegation to Kano

…Says despite progress, Nigeria still has a long way to go to end COVID-19

…Kano commences medical history tracing of ‘strange’ deaths

The Federal Government revealed on Monday that is has deployed a high-powered fact-finding delegation to unravel the mystery behind ‘strange’ deaths in Kano State.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was speaking during the Presidential Task Force (PTF) daily briefing on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, said that despite effort to improve COVID-19 response, there has been steep rise in the number of persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in the state.

He said: “There are concerns about the steep rise in the number of persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kano State, who sadly included members of the State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), along with reports on a reported spike in the number of deaths, over the weekend.

“The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, is deploying a high-powered fact-finding delegation to work with the state to improve COVID-19 response as well as ask questions on the causes of these death reports”.

The minister, who attributed the rise in cases of COVID-19 to non-compliance to the lockdown directives, called on Nigerians to support government in fighting the pandemic.

“The rising number of cases is of concern to all but there is evidence of increase in-country community transmission which to a large extent is as a result of non-compliance with lockdown orders and other non-medical interventions and other presumptive source of exposure to infections.

“The unauthorised treatment of highly contagious COVID-19 patients in private homes or unaccredited health facilities with the risk of infecting their families, other patients, visitors and health workers.

“These factors necessitated the active case finding strategy with the house to house and cluster testing which has contributed to increased case detection.”

Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the (PTF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said despite progress so far made to combat the spread of the infection, the country had yet a long ground to cover.

He charged all Nigerians to take responsibility for the fight against COVID-19, noting that much more success would be achieved when advisories already issued and other preventive measures were seriously followed.

“Over the last four weeks, we made appreciable progress but we are not yet out of the woods because a lot more is required to be done.

“Nigerians at all levels must take responsibility for our actions, adopt behavioural modification, ensure compliance with advisories and provide guidance to our followers and youths.

“The PTF has continued to assess the situation nationwide and an appropriate Report has been submitted to Mr. President for decision making.

“The PTF shall continue to pursue the strategy of aggressive testing, detection, isolation, contact tracing, care and management”, he added.

Meanwhile, Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has directed the state Ministry of Health to carry out medical history tracing “verbal autopsy” of those who lost their lives to various strange ailments over the weekend.

The state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, who announced this in a statement made available to journalists in Kano on Monday, said a combined team from the state Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been drafted to eight Local Government Areas within the Kano Emirate Council to perform the autopsy exercise.

“I am pleased to inform the good people of Kano State that verbal autopsy to determine the real cause of the deaths of our citizens who lost their lives over the weekend has begun in earnest.

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“Following the directive of the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, health experts from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC have been drafted to visit the families and relatives of the dead so as to trace their medical history, with a view to ascertain what really led to their deaths,” Garba stated.

According to him, the state Ministry of Health is also working round the clock to ensure adequate availability of drugs for common ailments such as malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, among others.

“Our primary healthcare system has also been re-activated across the 44 Local Government Areas to guarantee easy access to healthcare delivery, even as we continue to battle the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic,” the Commissioner added.

Garba, who called for calm, urged residents to continue to strictly adhere to the advice from health experts on how to avoid the contraction of COVID-19.

“At this point, all of us must come together, irrespective of religious and political affiliations, to overcome this health challenges facing our great state.

“We solicit for the cooperation of religious leaders, political leaders, opinion leaders, community leaders, traditional rulers and every other stakeholders to enlighten our people on the need to stay safe and stay healthy.

“The state government also wishes to passionately appeal to residents to religiously observe the lockdown order, stay at home, observe personal hygiene, wash their hands regularly, observe social distancing and also pray fervently for the end of this dark era of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

“Together, we shall win this war. This turbulent times shall pass away. We shall come out stronger and better; and our dear state will be great again,” he stated.