Over 75 frontline line health workers including Doctors, Nurses, and others have tested positive of the Coronavirus, with the majority of them asymptomatic.
Two top officials of the Katsina State Government namely; Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Abdulakarim Yahaya Sirika and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Kabir Mustapha who made the above disclosure while addressing newsmen at Government House Katsina said the infected health care workers are currently receiving home care treatment with drug regimes and observations in line with clinical practices
They also announced that two mortalities were recorded, including one Doctor and one lab attendant who reported his case late Thursday announced that it has spent over N157, 750, 000, 00 on a total of 11,314 samples of COVID – 19 patients collected across the state with 675 repeats and follow-ups cases.
The duo also disclosed that cumulatively, the state has spent over N157, 750, 000, 00 on a total of 11314 samples collected with 675 repeats and follow-ups cases.
They said; “the state government has engaged Sahel Medical center, a private laboratory accredited by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), offering testing service on COVID-19 suspected cases.”
“From 31st of May, 2920 to date, Sahel medical laboratory has tested over 10,000 samples of COVID-19 suspected patients, it cost the state government N15, 750.00 for one (1) test and so far, a whopping N157,750,000,00 has been expended on the 10,000 tests alone, in addition to other coat on patients care and staff allowances, etc. ”
‘’The state had about 800 positive cases with 24 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
‘’Sharing of risk communication activities through social media platforms as well as the intensification of the house to house awareness creation, were still ongoing.’’
While admitting that presently the state has 13 patients in the isolation centers they however maintained that most challenges confronting the state’s COVID-19 Committee is in the refusal by most admitted patients to be quarantined and insisting that they are healthy.
They also attributed the declining rate of infections in the state to increased testing and vigilance of the state government especially in tackling risk awareness sensitization through religious groups and traditional rulers.