The proactive measures taken by Kano state government saved the lives of many residents from the dreaded Lassa fever scourge currently ravaging most parts of the country. Writes BASHIR MOHAMMED.
At the time Kano state government through the commissioner for health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, made an official pronouncement that there was an outbreak of the much-dreaded Lassa fever in the state, there were shivers in the ancient city, considering the magnitude of death toll the menace has caused in other parts of the country.
The commissioner was addressing a press conference where he told the people that two medical doctors at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital had died while trying to save the life of a pregnant woman who also lost her life while receiving medical attention in the hospital.
According to him, the press conference was convened to set the record straight and keep reporters abreast about what was really on ground to avoid creating any doubtful impression on the scale of the deadly menace. He added that it was also convened to inform the news men about what the state government was doing to curb its spread in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
How it was discovered
Giving the graphic account of the case index that led to the discovery of the epidemic in Kano, the commissioner said it was a case of a 28-year-old pregnant woman from Gwale Local Government Area who took ill two weeks after the death of her own mother who was also referred from a private hospital to the teaching hospital with date of admission on December 31, 2019 but died on January 1, 2020.
He stated that the index case was thereafter managed by numerous health care professionals including the two confirmed cases at the centre, thereby posing more risks to the state at large. He was of the opinion that more than 292 contacts have so far been line-listed and are currently being followed up as stated in the management guideline for the disease.
Steps so far taken
Following the outbreak, the commissioner disclosed that the state government immediately swung into action to curtail the spread of the disease.
To this end, he said the government effected the reactivation of the State Isolation Centre at Yargaya town and the activation of Rapid Response Team in addition to conducting State of Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee Meeting.
The commissioner also said as an additional measure to stem the tide of the scourge, the state government plans to intensify Lassa fever surveillance through the engagement of traditional and religious institutions and the production and airing of jingles in addition to effecting the sensitisation of health personnel.
“I wish to reveal here that all the measures so far instituted in the containment of Lassa fever in Kano state would not have been possible without the support and commitment of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who set aside millions of naira for the maintenance of Yargaya Isolation Centre and also as incentives to our health workers there.
“It is also on record that a few years back, Kano was able to manage and treat two confirmed cases of Lassa fever patients who were equally discharged from the centre at a ceremony attended by leading stakeholders and key representatives of the state government,” he added.
“I would therefore, like to assure citizens and all stakeholders that the government is always ready to partner with all persons, groups and organisations in its determination towards providing quality healthcare services to the good people of the state,” he affirmed.
“I wish to call on all and sundry to disregard any allegation and rumour. Additionally, I also wish to enjoin the general public to ensure proper hand hygiene, strengthen environmental sanitation, avoid contact with animals, rodents, avoid poorly cooked meat, avoid contact with suspected or confirmed cases or items soiled by them and report any suspected case to the nearest health facility for necessary action,” he remarked.
However, with the commissioner’s assurance that the Ganduje-led administration has taken the bull by the horns in curbing the menace of the disease, the swift response of the state Ministry of Health has undoubtedly generated reactions from notable stakeholders and respected opinion leaders who applauded the wisdom of the state government in the rapid response.
Commendations
According to a renowned APC chieftain in Kano, Alhaji Musa Danbirni, the Ganduje administration has demonstrated its seriousness to the health sector by his consistent effort in checkmating the prevalence of child killer diseases. He added that no responsible government would love to pay lip service to an important sector like health.
According to him, the governor had also blazed the trail in wooing notable international development partners who had been consistent in providing funds for the eradication of all sort of disease ravaging the state with the government fulfilling its obligations on counterpart funding, saying that without such commitment on the part of the government, nothing would have been achieved.
“Kano under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has taken the centre stage as a fountain of health care delivery. No one doubts this remarkable feat unless those who are utterly cynical about anything that government does to improve the lots of the peoples.
“If you look at the budgetary allocation given to the health sector in the year 2020, it almost received the lion share of the budget. This is because his government has good intention on the sector. Look at the way he is paying good attention to routine immunisation exercise in ensuring that it reaches fruition.
“The effort of the immediate past commissioner for health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, was highly commendable and worth emulating. He did his best in transforming the heath sector into a bastion of pride. The present commissioner, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, appeared to have followed his steps in doing what is appropriate to sustain the good tempo,” he stressed.
“With the outbreak of Lassa fever in Kano, we were fully convinced that the state government would take urgent steps to nip the deadly menace in the bud. We read about the commitment of the present commissioner through the media and we are pretty confident that he would never rest on his oars until the desired objective is achieved.”
It was however the contention of notable stakeholders in the health sector that issue of implementing government policies on health care is what is widely seen as the major stumbling block towards achieving 100% result by successive governments over the years affirming that with respective administrations in the country taking the challenge to tackle the scourge of Lassa fever, fears being entertained in the minds of citizens of the country would be allayed.
Need for continuity
According to a private medical practitioner who craved for anonymity, what was killing the health sector over the years in the hands of successive administrations was lack of the will to implement formidable health policies on ground. He posited that the problem is the issue of sentiment in whatever one’s predecessor ever did.
“It is disheartening to note that no matter how perfect a policy may look like, lack of consistency in implementing such a programme is what is really turning the hands of the clock backward. It is high time leaders in respective positions of authority shunned unnecessary animosity by working towards the path of development and progress.
“One would just wake up one day announce that they are no longer interested in whatever their predecessor did simply because they did not initiated it. It is bad and we must put a stop to it if we really want forge ahead,” he stressed.
“Look at the issue of routine immunisation exercise, it had really paid off and the people are extremely proud of such outstanding accomplishment. We are now in a Lassa fever grip and his government is currently doing everything possible to checkmate its spread,” he revealed.
The medical practitioner also stressed the compelling need for residents of the ancient city and those residing in towns and villages to imbibe the culture of environmental hygiene for good healthy and sanitary condition to be maintained stressing that without a healthy and clean environment, people are poised to grapple with various forms of diseases that can be detrimental to health.
