The Kano state government has announced the provision of additional health facilities for the treatment of Diptheria, days after the ailment killed at least 40 residents, leaving dozens more hospitalized.
Daily News 24 reports that a fresh outbreak of the respiratory ailment has emerged in parts of the state in the past few weeks.
Media reports have revealed that the state’s Infectious Disease Hospital aka Asibitin Zana was said to be the only government hospital equipped to treat the disease.
This development was said to have caused the hospital’s facilities to be overstretched due to the overwhelming number of patients that have thronged the facility to receive treatment.
But speaking to journalists on Friday, the spokesperson of the Kano State Hospital Management Board, Samira Suleiman said the government is taking steps to curtail the spread of the disease and equip more health facilities to treat the ailment.
She said the quality of services offered at IDH has apparently dropped due to the high number of patients in the facility.
Ms Samira added that Diptheria about 13 Diptheria treatment centres have been provided in different parts of the state including Bichi, Wudil, Tudun Wada, Rano local government areas of the state.
According to her, other hospitals within the state capital include Waziri Gidado Hospital in Bachirawa area, Imam Wali General Hospital, Sheikh Jiddah Hospital as well as Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital.
“We are calling on residents to take patients to the nearest hospital that has been assigned to handle Diptheria in the communities.
“This is because IDH is only meant to treat patients in critical condition. We also urge residents separate infected patients from the rest of the people to tackle the disease’s spread,” she said.
