Amidst concerns over the rising cases in Kano state, the COVID-19 testing exercise has been grounded owing to dearth of testing kits and related materials.
A government official, who disclosed this, also said henceforth, all suspected cases would be transported to Abuja for testing before announcing the result.
But in a quick reaction, the authorities of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital(AKTH) said the exercise would resume following the delivery of some consumables, including reagents, by the federal government Wednesday.
Reacting to the suspension of testing, Director Centre for Infectious Diseases Research at the AKTH, Prof. Isah Abubakar told Blueprint Wednesday night that it had taken delivery of reagents from Abuja and that the centre was being fumigated and ready to continue operations.
This is coming as the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) berated some residents for being lackadaisical in the fight against the pandemic.
FG
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Tuesday said it had commenced the distribution of some consumables and medical equipment to states.
And to underscore the impact of the pandemic on Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo states, National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the federal government was working closely with governors of the affected states.
He said as testing continues to improve in number, there would also be an increase in the number of confirmed cases.
The figure and its outbreak
Since the pandemic broke out in the state Saturday, 11th April, 2020, Kano has continued to speed up the rate of infection in the state.
From 59 cases recorded Tuesday, Kano, which now ranks third after Abuja now has 79 cases as at 8.00pm Wednesday.
Ganduje’s alarm
The rampaging rate of the virus gave Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje some concerns, following which he called on the federal government to come to their aid and give the state government necessary financial support.
Receiving the Director General Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Chikwe Ihekweazu at the Government House Kano Tuesday, Governor Ganduje said the state was lacking in many fronts in the management of the pandemic.
“So far, we do not have any serious case in the state. However, we need to get prepared. We need additional testing center in the state, we need vehicles and protection kits, we need coordination, we need rapid responses and we need palliative.
“Kano is the third on the list of states with a high number of COVID-19 cases and is the most populated state in the federation. We, therefore, need financial support from the federal government,” the governor had said.
“Despite our population with less economic power than Lagos state which is economically viable, the federal government didn’t give any support while our positive cases continue to rise,” Ganduje further said.
Testing suspended
And barely 24 hours after the alarm, a member of Kano COVID-19 Task Force, Professor Sadiq Isah, told BBC Hausa Service that testing had been suspended at the Kano centre owing because they lack some basic needs in the centre.
He said henceforth, all suspected cases would be transported to Abuja for testing before announcing the result.
The official said they had notified the NCDC about the development.
He said Kano would resume testing for coronavirus as soon as all the needed materials were available in the centre.
Isah said suspending the coronavirus test in Kano was a great setback in the fight against the spread of the disease in the state, which accounts for almost 10 per cent of the total 782 coronavirus cases in Nigeria and whose figure has risen daily for the past week.
The COVID-19 testing centre, domiciled at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, hosts many northern states’ suspected cases.
Experts say testing capacity is a major step in fighting the spread of coronavirus.
Nigeria, on Tuesday, recorded its highest daily figure since its first COVID-19 case in February as 117 cases were reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
With the latest update, the total tally of infected people in the country rose to 782 from 665 reported Monday evening.
NMA
Also expressing concerns over the attitude of some Kano reside towards the virus, the state NMA Chairman, Dr. Sanusi Bala, said some youth had taken to playing corona football tournament even as some religious leaders were yet to buy in to the fight against the pandemic.
Featuring on Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme Wednesday, Bala said: “people are complying in major public areas like the roads and markets. But in the communities, the youth are playing what is called Corona Cup tournament. People sit together without social distancing. They need to extend the lockdown to the communities.”
On how the message of fight against COVID-19 could be effectively taken to the grassroots, the NMA chair said there was need to get the traditional and religious leaders to have a buy-into the programme, “as some religious leaders don’t believe in COVID-19.”
