The discharge of 75 Covid-19 patients from the isolation centres in Sokoto State, is a testimony that the measures taken by the state government to curtail the spread of the dreaded disease are effective.
According to the information released by the state Taskforce on Convid-19, the discharged patients were among the 113 confirmed cases after 519 tests had been carried out.
However, 396 of the test done were negative while the result of 10 are still pending.
Thirteen patients were lost to the deadly disease in the first few days the virus hit the state.
Majority of whom were testified to be carriers of other diseases such as diabetics, hypertension and chronic kidney problems. Their positive status were only known after the autopsy analyses.
Briefing newsmen on the measures taken to contain the disease on Tuesday, the Chairman of the State Taskforce on Covid-19, Dr. Ali Inname, said the committee adopted three steps which were contact tracing, test and treatment.
“We trace contacts of patients, test them and those that are positive we take them to isolation centres for treatment.
‘We don’t wait for them to start presenting some of the cardinal symptoms of the disease before we test them, as is the case in other states.’
Inname also said that the State Task Force carried out ‘postmortem test of death bodies to ascertain the causes of their death.’
Inname who is the State Commissioner for Health, noted that this approach, was the best in fighting community spread of the disease and that it was also the reason why the number of active cases in the state was on the high side.
It was learnt that over 100 teams were deployed to local government areas for contact tracing in addition to the health personnel checking truck drivers body temperature at the various entry points in the state.
In order not to be caught napping, the state government designated five places to be used as isolation centres.
This include: 200-bed Amanawa isolation centre; the 40-bed isolation centre at Specialist hospital and 20-bed Catholic clinic turned isolation centre.
Others are 32-bed isolation centre at Murtala Muhammed Hospital and the 20-bed centre at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is also considering the conversion of the two major hotels owned by the state to isolation centres when the need for that arises.
The state was quick to imposed the ban on inter-state travels that are not essential. Also Read: Yobe State Chief Justice has Died
And to ensure strict compliance to this measure, the state donated 20 motorcycles to security agencies for effective monitoring and blockage of remote routes.
Moreover, the state initiated a Covid-19 Response Volunteer team which is the first of its kind in the country.
Inaugurating the first batch of 1000 volunteers, Governor Tambuwal said they were meant to step up his administration’s proactive measures aimed at reducing the spread of the pandemic.
He appealed to the retired health workers willing to get re-engaged to come forward to improve the healthcare system in the state.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Health for dispatching health practitioners to train health workers in the state.
Tambuwal also applauded billionaire business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Nigerian Flour Mill, Mr John Coumantaros.
BUA Cement Company, UBA, ACCESS Bank, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
And the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto for their sustained donations and partnership with the state to enable it combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Tambuwal increased the daily allowances of health workers to encourage their selfless efforts.
For Medical consultant involving in managing patients at the isolation centres, they would be collecting N15,000 daily as against the N10,000 earlier approved.
While their colleagues working outside the centres would be entitled to N12,500.
The same gesture was extended to other medical and health workers.
Depending on their assigned areas of responsibilities, their allowances were increased by 50% or 25%.
Cleaners and drivers working at the centres were not exempted. They also got their allowances increased by 50%.
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