TheCable

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says investigation has commenced into the sudden rise in deaths in Kano state.

Some health workers had told TheCable how at least 180 persons have been buried in Kano in the last five days. Some undertakers in the state also expressed worries over the increasing rate of burials.

Speaking at the presidential task force briefing on COVID-19, on Wednesday, the minister said the situation is being investigated.

He said the cause of the deaths remains unknown as it would be too early to link it to COVID-19 complications. Kano has a total of 59 coronavirus cases, the third highest in the country.

“The federal ministry of health through the chief consultant epidemiologist has been with the public health department of Kano state and also 16 officers from NCDC were there to find out what was true about the news of burials going on there,” he said.

“The state public health department is still looking into it to find out if these burials were out of normal and they are carrying out further questioning.”

The minister also said private hospitals are now required to obtain permit from their state ministry of health before treating a COVID-19 patients.

“Yesterday, the ministry of health conveyed an emergency national council on health meeting via teleconference,” he said.

“Some of the resolutions unanimously adopted are: That all persons diagnosed with COVID-19 be henceforth treated preferably where the diagnosis was made rather than to be referred to another state, except there is a medical indication for it.

“Medicine vendors, pharmacists and chemists are henceforth prohibited from attempting to treat persons diagnosed with or suspected to be COVID-19 patients otherwise their licenses may be cancelled.

“Private hospitals desiring to manage COVID-19 patients apply to their state ministry of health for permit and they must meet the standard infection prevention and control and be accredited by a state accreditation team according to guidelines developed by the federal ministry of health before they are granted that permit.”

On Tuesday evening, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 117 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily toll recorded so far.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 782, out of which 197 patients have been discharged while 25 people have died.

The disease has spread to 24 states and the federal capital territory.

Ehanire described the rising cases as “an indication of more efficient testing and increasing community transmission.”

Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustrative purposes