TheCable

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, says it costs about N400,000 to treat a COVID-19 patient in the state.

Speaking on Monday during an executive committee meeting with traditional rulers chaired by Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, the governor said the amount is as a result of the increasing cost of drugs, feeding, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors.

El-Rufai said the government cannot tell patients to bear the cost of the treatment because it will lead to further spread of the disease.

“We have a very high success rate in treating COVID-19 patients. Even a 90-year-old person, with underlying conditions, diabetes and hypertension was treated successfully in the state,” el-Rufai said.

“The virus has not left us. We may ignore it, but it is still there. We urge you to sensitise our people to protect themselves against this virus, particularly those that are above the age of 60.

“It costs about N400,000 to treat one coronavirus patient. They have to be isolated and fed. The cost of medicine has increased, even the personal protective equipment that the doctors treating them have to wear. When you add all this up, the average cost of treatment is over N400,000 per person. We have to bear the cost.”

In March, el-Rufai contracted COVID-19, but he recovered after nearly four weeks.

Kaduna has recorded a total of 2,214 COVID-19 cases so far.

In July, Akin Abayomi, commissioner of health in Lagos, said Lagos spends between N500,000 and N1 million daily to treat a COVID-19 patient in critical condition.