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Press Statement on the Need for the Federal Government to Take Over the Activities of Covid-19 in Kano State (X)

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27 April, 2020

Of recent, the number of people dying in Kano State is alarming and at the same time frightening. Since the beginning of last week, reports were coming from different angles especially in the inner-city areas of the state about the raising number of deaths in the state. This unusual deaths have brought fear among the residents and confusion regarding the cause of the deaths which made many powerful voices, activists, organizations to called the attention of the state government about the tragic situation the state found itself. Many people were suspecting that the deceased died due to the current corona virus pandemics while some believe that it is just a normal diseases or lack of assessing health care facilities due to the lockdown order imposed in the state. In the part of the state government, at first it denied all the reports regarding the deaths in the state which showed lack of competency from those handling the situation in the state.

However, as the situation continue to worsen in the state, the state government was forced to acknowledge the raising number of the deaths. In a statement released by the state government it attributed the cause of the deaths to malaria, typhoid, hypertension, meningitis, diabetes etc. while many health experts within and outside the state believe that the deaths can be as result of the covid-19. Whatever the case, the fact that the deceased were not being tested no one could ascertain the real cause of their deaths.

The matter of concern in the state presently is how the only testing center at Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has being closed for almost a week now. For six days now the center is ineffective and people are not being tested, this has resulted for people even if they have contracted the virus to be at their own mercy. Many of victims of virus due to the inability of the center to return to work resort to treating themselves with any medicine they can find. Secondly, the inability and lack of coordination in the State Task Force Committee on Covid-19 to handle the situation properly has led the issue to escalate further. This will not be unrelated with the many of the committee members being tested positive to virus and the inability of the state government to reconstitute the committee. Thirdly, Kano state people have been neglected by the federal government; where Lagos state has 23 centers, Kano state with more than 20 million people has only 1 center which is currently ineffective.

Looking at the above concerns, we are appealing to the Federal government as matter of urgency and to save the lives of Kano state residents to:

  1. Take over all corona virus activities in Kano state immediately
  2. Constitute a vibrant committee to investigate the cause of the recent raise of deaths in the state
  3. The committee should as a matter of urgency suing to action immediately and conclude its investigation within the shortest period of time
  4. All investigation regarding this matter should be made available to the public

 

Ali Sabo

Campaigns and Communication Officer  

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