ABUTH overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, says emirate council

The Zazzau Emirate Council in Kaduna state has lamented the rising number of COVID-19 patients at the new treatment centre in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH).

Speaking at a sensitisation meeting in Zaria, Abdulkadir Salanke, Salenken Zazzau and chairman of traditional leaders committee on health, said the treatment centre is overwhelmed as infections are rising in the emirate.

According to him, Shehu Idris, emir of Zazzau, decided to invite district heads and religious leaders for the sensitisation meeting because they are closer to the people and will help in reinforcing the message.

He called on the people to abide by health protocol to prevent further spread of the disease, saying the virus is real and claiming lives.

Salanke thanked the state government for collaborating with ABUTH to provide a 20-bed facility for COVID-19 patients.

The traditional title holder asked the people of Zazzau Emirate to take personal responsibility to fight the disease.

He said adhering to personal hygiene, washing hands with soap and running water and wearing of face masks in public as well as maintaining physical distance are the ways to check the disease.

Salanke pointed out that there is little that the enforcement of lockdowns by security agents can do if people do not follow the protocol.

Hamza Ikara, deputy director of Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, added that COVID-19 has spread to nine local government areas of the state including Igabi, Chukun, Kaduna north, Kaduna south, Zaria and Sabon Gari, Soba, Giwa and Makarfi.

Ikara said the sensitisation took place in Zaria because it is the headquarters of Zazzau emirate, which includes eight of the affected local government areas.