By Habibu Umar Aminu, Katsina
KATSINA – A private medical practitioner of Kogi State origin based in Daura, Katsina State, Dr Aliyu Yakubu, has died from the coronavirus disease.
Dr Yakubu, aged over 60 years, died three days ago. He is said to have travelled to his home state, Kogi, before moving to Lagos, and later returned to Daura.
Briefing newsmen on the development, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said “We have to brief you on this bad news that one Dr Aliyu Yakubu has died from coronavirus disease.
“He went to his home state (Kogi), stayed for two weeks, and then moved to Lagos. He returned to Daura and after three days he was hospitalised at Airforce Reference Hospital for only two hours, and he died.
“His samples were taken to the National Disease Control Centre (NCDC) Abuja and he was diagnosed to be COVID-19 positive.
“Before his death, he was diagnosed with hepatitis and was also hypertensive. Our medical responses in Daura are now trying to meet all those that he contacted or interacted with since his return to Daura,” he said.
“We hope by this night or early hours of tomorrow, we would have completed taking all the samples of those he had contact with. He is a private doctor who runs a private hospital in Daura. This is very bad news that COVID-19 has come to our state,” the governor further said.
Dr Yakubu owned and had run the popular Daura Surgery and Maternity Hospital in Sabon Gari along Zango road for over 40 years. This is the first case and death recorded from the COVID-19 virus in the state.
Sources from Daura said the hospital is among the most visited having been operating for long in the state.
While the announcement of Dr Yakubu’s death is generating serious tension and apprehension in the state, it was found that there are only five ventilators at the two designated isolation centres established for the COVID-19 eventuality in Katsina.
Three of the ventilators are at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), while two are at the state government-owned General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital.
Last week, the Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in the state raised concerns over non-availability of basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for both health workers and patients in the wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the state government has dismissed the allegation through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Dr Kabir Mustapha, who argued that the state has some quantity of equipment for emergency use on suspected cases that were coordinated centrally by epidemiologists at the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
The chairman of the coalition, Dr Mohammed Nafiu Abdulaziz, while reading a communiqué at the end of a meeting, said though no case has been confirmed in the state, the need for proper preparedness cannot be overemphasised.
He said the coalition has noted the absence of some critical pillars in the state COVID-19 task force which has resulted in the absence of quarantine system, case evaluation, case isolation, and case management.
“The leadership of healthcare professionals is not being involved in the state preparedness efforts against COVID-19. We recommend the activation of a special system for active case search and contact tracing with efficiently-gadgeted suspect conveyance ambulances.
“We demand for fully equipped Isolation Centre(s) to be provided devoid of existing hospital settings, of which Katsina City Mall as well as the IDP camp have been identified as suitable/alternative options,” he said.
He stressed the need for the state government to liaise with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the provision of a testing laboratory in the s by decentralising the NCDC laboratory.
Katsina had on March 18 recorded its first suspected case of COVID-19 when a university lecturer at Federal University Dutsin-Ma, who returned from Malaysia, was tested but turned out to be negative.
The patient arrived in the country on March 9, this year and went to his family in Safana LGA. He first went to the university clinic with the symptoms were the state ministry officials’ attention was drawn.
His COVID-19 negative results were widely celebrated in the state, not until the Daura-based Dr Aliyu Yakubu’s death a couple of days ago said to be as a result of the disease that has now generated anxiety and dampened the mood of the residents.
Already, the state has suspended Friday prayers and church services, and the police are enforcing the order.
Last week, one person was killed and 90 others arrested as some policemen and youth clashed over the arrest of an imam who defied the government directive and held Friday congregational prayer.
Sources said some police officers had stormed the residence of the imam, Malam Hassan, and taken him away for questioning.
Angered by the action, some youths and his followers stormed the Divisional Police Headquarters in Kusada apparently to forcefully release him, which led to the clash in which the police station was burnt one person killed.
Confirming the incident, spokesman of the State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, said “on 27/03/2020, some disgruntled youths under the leadership of one Malam Hassan tested the will of the state and conducted a Friday prayer in one of the Kusada Juma’at mosques.
“Subsequently, he was arrested for questioning at Area Commander’s office, Malumfashi, which did not go down well with some of his followers.
“His supporters had organised themselves in such a tumultuous manner, attacked and overpowered the policemen on duty at Kusada Division; set ablaze the police station and DPO’s Quarters. They also burnt down seven motor vehicles and 10 motorcycles in the custody of the police station,” he said.
According to him, the state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, ordered for the deployment of police patrol teams and a special joint security task force on the enforcement of the ban on public gathering in the state led by the DC Operations, which has already restored normalcy to the area.
“Ninety suspected rioters have been arrested, while one of the rioters lost his life as a result of the encounter. Investigations are ongoing,” he said.
Daily Trust