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Covid-19: Dangote donates 400 capacity test lab to Kano
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has donated a 400 capacity Covid-19 test laboratory and 10 ambulances to Kano State government to check the spread of the pandemic.
Kano Focus reports the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou, handed over the laboratory to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Sunday.
Ms Youssoufou said Dangote Foundation funded a molecular diagnostics firm based in Lagos to set up the laboratory in Kano State.
She said the newly established 54Gene was accredited by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and has already set up labs in Lagos and in Ogun States.
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She added that the foundation is determined to increase the number of testing centers nationwide through Private Sector Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
“CACOVID is already setting up a 310-bed isolation center at Sani Abacha stadium in Kano.
“We are extending that capacity by another 150 beds at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in Kano, which is being converted into an isolation center now.
“These two centers will be operational pending the final validation by the Infection Prevention and Control team, which we expect will be completed in the coming days.” Ms Youssoufou said.
She added that the Aliko Dangote Foundation is also supporting the Rapid Response Teams in their work to identify suspected covid-19 cases across the healthcare centers in Kano.
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In a remark, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje applauded the foundation for donating the laboratory to Kano state.
“As we are targeting more testing centres in the state, the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote as a son of the soil donates this Mobile Testing Centre with the capacity of testing 400 people daily which will eventually be increased to 1,000.
“With the three testing centers in Kano, we’re sure COVID-19 pandemic would be curtailed in the state”. Mr Ganduje said.
On his part, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of 54gene, Abasi Ene-Obong said the 40ft structure built with container technology, provides a unique plug-and-play solution that eliminates the logistics of shipping samples to another infrastructure for processing.
He said this would reduce the turnaround time for test results and allows clinicians to manage and treat patients accurately, sooner rather than later.
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje said his administration has trained 5,504 constabulary to support community policing.
KANO FOCUS reports that Ganduje revealed this on Sunday while inaugurating Rano Emirate community policing committees in Doguwa local government area.
The governor explained how community policing strategy goes deeply into the fabric of Kano society, as a political entity.
While enumerating reasons behind the recorded achievements in the security of the state, governor said, “Our administration found it necessary to support community participation in the security of our state.”
“We have gone further by recruiting Police constabulary, who are assisting the security agencies. And also we are assisting the various community policing committees.
“We trained in Kaduna 704 graduates of Police Constabulary. Also for each of the rural local governments, the 36 local governments, we are training 100 Police constabulary. Making a total of 3,600 Police constabulary.”
“For the 8 metropolitan, local governments we are training 150 in each of the 8 local governments. Giving rise to 1,200 Police Constabulary. Having a total of 4,800 Police Constabulary in addition to 704 that have already been trained. Which all stands at 5,504 Police Constabulary now at hand.”
“Community participation, apart from community policing is necessary for us to achieve a desirable situation from all ramifications. As such, we are also inviting corporate social responsibility in the management of security situation in Kano state.”
Part of the factors that played an important role in the security situation in the state, he acknowledged and appreciated that, “Our security agencies have succeeded in building full synergy among themselves. And we have extended coordination in order to get security information and action in Kano state.
“We have to thank the Police, the Department for State Security (DSS), the Air Force, the Army, the Civil Defence (NSCDC), Immigration, Customs and Excise, Correctional Homes, traditional institutions, National Agency for the for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), the Vigilante Groups, representatives of various communities, we have to thank them all. They are all contributing to the security situation in Kano state.”
Mr Ganduje he stressed that, “There is no doubt security is an issue of topical nature in Nigeria. Is an issue that bothers almost everybody, all governments in Nigeria. And is an issue that we must come altogether in order to solve it.
“We can see the effort of our security agencies that are working round the clock in order to keep Nigeria safe. In Kano state we are also conscious of the security of our state. Therefore we developed various strategies in order to secure Kano state.”
“First of all we examined the issue of metropolitan, Kano being a metropolitan city and a mega city, we have taken necessary steps in order to ensure the security of our own mega city.”
“We built what we call Security Dormitories on the major entrance of metropolitan Kano. That each of the dormitories houses 600 policemen. And also we have developed CCTV programme.
“Which is working very well. While the control room is with our security agencies. We have other technology employed in order to check security issues.”
In his remarks, the Emir of Rano, Kabiru Inuwa Muhammad, commended the effort being put by governor Ganduje in securing all parts of the state, with the Divine help from Almighty Allah.
He said, “Today is a historic day that we cannot forget. All our people are happy with this special event taking place in our Emirate, Rano Emirate. We are always ready to cooperate with your policies and programmes Your Excellency Sir. Especially this issue of community policing.”
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano state has the highest sickle cell patients in Nigeria, a consultant haematologist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital said.
KANO FOCUS reports that Dalha Halliru Gwarzo disclosed this in an interview with Hospital’s newsletter as part of the 2021 World Sickle Cell day.
He added that Lagos is the second state with highest number of sickle cell cases in the country.
Mr Gwarzo said India, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria constituted 90% of the sickle cell patients worldwide.
On the causes of sickle cell disease, Mr Gwarzo said it is a genetic inherited disease from parents who are either SS, or AS genotype as a result of genetic condition or mutation of abnormal form of red blood cell.
He advocated for compulsory screening of infants after birth and school children, pre-marital counseling/tests, subsidising cost of medication/treatment and mass sensitisation campaign on dangers of the disease.
Mr Gwarzo noted that, although there is no known cure for sickle cell disease, but developed countries are using a high technology for manipulation of the genetic cells by bone marrow and stem cells transplant, which cost about fifteen million Naira in countries like United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada.
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