•Attend to patients from afar •Say N3m insurance package inadequate
By Chucks Okocha and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
Following the harvest of deaths, in controversial circumstances, in Kano State and the subsequent confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, some doctors have not been reporting for work for fear of the unknown while others attend to patients from afar, citing lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), THISDAY has learnt.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had said the federal government was investigating the reported strange deaths in the state.
At least 11 persons died at the weekend in Kano within 24 hours.
Among the dead is the regional manager of a first-generation bank, who was said to have been awaiting his COVID-19 test result.
The coordinator of the Kano Technical Response Team for COVID-19, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini, confirmed the deaths.
However, he said the deaths could not be linked to COVID-19 until after the completion of investigations.
Investigation in most of the hospitals visited by THISDAY revealed that the few doctors available were attending to patients from a far distance.
The doctors also described as inadequate the indemnity money of N3 million for a doctor who lost his life in the course of duty.
It was gathered that the absenteeism of some doctors at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Hospital and Muhammad Abdullahi Wase and other government hospitals outside the metropolitan was due to lack of preventive/protective support from the government.
A source at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital told THISDAY that “some doctors now in most Kano hospitals do not attend to patients closely, but from far and they often assign intern students and nurses to do the work for them, especially in the night.”
The sources said the healthcare workers, mostly doctors, were afraid to risk their lives amid the plague and this has disrupted medical services at hospitals.
However, a source close to an international health organisation working in Kano told THISDAY that a meeting had been held on the matter and that a letter of complaint would soon be forwarded to the government to address the issue.
“This government is very much serious about this fight and we are optimistic that they will quickly provide the required working tools for the benefit of the doctors and other health workers,” the source added.
A public health consultant confided in THISDAY that the N3 million life insurance for a doctor was too small.
He said: “Most of my colleagues are very much scared; they abandoned their families’ for this fight but our welfare are still not catered for. We want the government to review our package including hazard allowances.”
The source added that the state government has mobilised most of the doctors who specialised in different fields to the centre for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, while most of those selected to be part of the exercise decided to stay back for fear of their safety.
It was also learnt that doctors attending to patients involved in an accident and other emergency cases at Accident and Emergency Unit of all the hospitals visited were scared to treat patients with symptom of high temperature.
According to an investigation, most of the doctors were posted to isolation centres at Kwanar Dawaki, Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital and other designated isolation centres in the state.
The state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, had said on Saturday that Alhaji Aliko Dangote had promised to donate 5,000 Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), ventilators and monitors to the state.
The PPE is part of the doctor’s demand for them to carry out their duties and avoid contracting the virus.
Ganduje, at the media briefing, commended the frontline health workers for their courage and determination towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
