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COVID-19: 15 more health workers test positive in Kano
Nasiru Yusuf
Fifteen additional health workers have tested positive for the presence of the coronavirus while treating patients at the National Orthopeadic Hospital, Dala in Kano state.
Aliyu Kabara, the chairman of the hospital’s branch of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) confirmed this to KANO FOCUS on Tuesday.
Mr Kabara said the 15 infected health personnel include three consultant doctors, nine resident doctors and three nurses that treated asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, who came to the hospital for orthopaedic treatment.
“We were the first hospital in Kano to record infected COVID-19 doctors. During the first screening, 15 persons out of 25 samples were found to be positive for COVID-19.
“All the infected doctors are now in self isolation in their respective homes, pending the availability of beds in state isolation centres.
“Because presently there is shortage of beds space in state isolation centres. We are hopeful of getting space since they have started discharging recovered patients who were certified negative for COVID-19. All the doctors are now in stable condition,” he explained.
According to him, the hospital has scaled down operation, and restricted services to emergency cases and inpatients.
On how the doctors got infected, Mr Kabara said they contracted the disease from a female patient who had undergone a surgery.
“When she came back for follow-up, she exhibited some COVID-19 symptoms. Most of the infected doctors are from that unit where this woman was treated.
“We are not always using personal protective equipment, because we don’t have enough. We rarely use them when attending to patients suspected to be COVID-19 positive.
“Otherwise, we use surgical mask and hand gloves for routine clinical services,” he said.
“No one will refuse to attend to a patient with life threatening illness and send him back because of lack of personal protective equipment. Some of these patients have COVID-19 beside their known clinical challenges,” Mr Kabara added. .
KANO FOCUS on Tuesday reported how 10 medical doctors tested positive for COVID-19 while treating patients at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
The chairman of the hospital’s branch of the Association of Resident Doctors, Abubakar Nagoma, attributed the vulnerability of the doctors to non-use of face masks by patients when coming to hospitals and lack of adequate personal protective equipment for doctors.
He also mentioned the deliberate hoarding of information by some patients.
However, Dr Tijjani Hussaini, coordinator of the technical subcommittee, Kano State Task Force on COVID-19, told this newspaper that three COVID-19 patients had been discharged after testing negative to the virus twice.
Mr Tijjani said all three patients were males, adding that more patients would be discharged from isolation centres this week.
“We are on contact tracing of over 400 persons. We still have challenge of resistance and non-disclosure of status from our contacts.
“We are presently working on the instruction of governor (Abdullahi Ganduje) to establish sample collection centres across the 44 local government areas of the state,” he said.
Kano state, is the second epicentre of COVID-19 in Nigeria after Lagos state.
On Monday, the NCDC had announced 23 new cases in Kano, putting the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state at 365, including eight deaths.
To curtail the spread of the virus in the state, President Muhammadu Buhari had announced a 2-week total lockdown in the state, as a reinforcement on the earlier one announced by the Kano State government
Mr Buhari had also deployed a special team of health professionals to assist the state government to fight the disease.
Former Kano State Governor and Senator, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has voiced his disappointment and concern regarding the Federal Government’s approach to distributing rice palliatives in Kano State.
During a recent week-long visit to Kano, Senator Kwankwaso observed that while governors in 35 other states received the palliatives directly, Kano’s allocation was controversially handed over to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sidestepping the state government entirely.
Senator Kwankwaso condemned this move as a blatant violation of constitutional principles, accusing the government of taking partisanship to an unacceptable level.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend the distribution process and address the issue.
In addition, Senator Kwankwaso expressed concern over the frequent reshuffling of State Directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano, noting that three different directors had been posted and reposted within just two weeks, potentially jeopardizing the state’s security.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has inaugurated a postgraduate foreign scholarship program under his foundation, aimed at providing advanced educational opportunities for students from Kano.
The scholarship will enable beneficiaries to pursue postgraduate studies in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity and Forensic Science, and Robotics Technology in India, China, and Thailand.
During a ceremony in Kano on Monday, where admission letters were distributed to the first batch of 70 recipients, Jibrin emphasized that the selected students would embark on two-year postgraduate programs in these technologically advanced fields.
Jibrin highlighted the rigorous and transparent selection process overseen by a dedicated committee, which prioritized academic excellence.
Only candidates with first-class or second-class upper degrees were considered, ensuring that the most qualified students were chosen.
He stressed that the process was impartial, noting that he had no personal connections with any of the beneficiaries.
Importantly, the scholarship is not limited to students from Kano North, Jibrin’s senatorial district, but is inclusive of all 44 local government areas in Kano State.
“Our goal is to invest in the future of our youth through education,” Jibrin stated.
“We carefully selected these areas of study because they are at the forefront of modern technology.
“This initiative is designed to equip our students with the skills needed for the overall development of our nation.”
Jibrin encouraged the beneficiaries to be diligent in their studies and to represent Nigeria positively in their host countries.
He also expressed that students who find opportunities abroad after their studies are welcome to stay and gain further experience before returning to Nigeria.
Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, lauded Jibrin for his commitment to advancing education and providing such opportunities for Kano’s youth.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
In a significant academic milestone, the Senate of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has approved the promotion of 90 senior academics to the ranks of Professors and Associate Professors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the decision was made during the Senate’s 416th meeting, held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
The promotion list includes 45 academics who have attained the rank of Professor, further bolstering BUK’s academic reputation across various disciplines.
Among those promoted to Professor are Dr. Umar Sani Fagge, now Professor of Arabic Language; Dr. Ibrahim Muazzam Saminu Maibushira, Professor of Islamic Thought and Civilization; and Dr. Tijjani Muhammad Naniya, who has been elevated to Professor of Social and Political History.
In the sciences, Dr. Mukhtar Ridwanu Bunza has been promoted to Professor of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, while Dr. Kasim Muhammad has become Professor of Environmental Engineering. Other notable promotions include Dr. Murtala M. Badamasi as Professor of Geography and Dr. Salisu Maiwada Abubakar as Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The list also highlights the promotion of five female academics to full Professorships, underscoring BUK’s commitment to gender diversity in academia. Among them are Dr. Ummulkhair A. Dantata, now Professor of Hausa Language; Dr. Latifa Musa Pedro, Professor of Health Economics; and Dr. Hauwa Musa Abdullahi, who has become Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In addition to these promotions, 45 academics have been elevated to the rank of Associate Professor.
This includes Dr. Lawal Muhammad Bello in Electrical Engineering, Dr. Warshu Tijjani Rabi’u in Islamic Studies & Shari’ah, and Sunusi Iguda in Mass Communication.
This wave of promotions reflects BUK’s dedication to academic excellence and its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education and research within the institution.
The university continues to position itself as a leading center of learning and scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.
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