No fewer than 20 health workers in Katsina State have contracted coronavirus [COVID-19], the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association [NMA] in the state said on Wednesday.
Dr Muhammed Abdulazeez revealed this while reacting to the death of Dr Kabir Tijani, the Medical Director of General Hospital, Mani.
Dr Tijani died on Tuesday and was buried the same day at 6.30 pm.
Though there were suggestions Dr Tijani died of COVID-19 complications, the NMA chair said circumstances surrounding the medical director’s death had yet to be determined. He explained that the results of samples taken from him for laboratory tests were being awaited.
Abdulazeez said,
“Dr.Tijani died on Tuesday and we buried him at 6.30 pm same day following all protocols stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“We are not too certain he died of COVID-19. It would be more logical when the case is confirmed. We have taken samples for laboratory tests and the results are being awaited. You need to have an evidence-based conclusion. But we took every precaution and protocol spelt out by the NCDC during the burial as we did not want to take unnecessary chances.
“Initially, we have 14 health workers affected by COVID-19. But, now, we have additional six, making the total number of health workers affected to be 20.”
The NMA chairman urged government to make available more personal protective equipment to health workers for their safety and protection.
He said,
“The state government is trying but it needs to do more in curtailing the COVID-19 in the state. The state should build more isolation centres. The state also needs to quarantine any suspected COVID-19 patient even before the results carried on the fellow is out.
Also, the state government is using community leaders for COVID-19 contact tracing.
It was gathered that community leaders were given phone numbers of the state COVID-19 task force members for better communication.
The Chairman of the state Public Enlightenment Committee on COVID-19, Abdulkarim Sirika, said samples of 800 contacts had already been taken for tests.
