Bauchi: We are investigating the cause of deaths in Azare

The Bauchi government has set up a panel to investigate the ailment responsible for the deaths of some people in Azare, Katagum local government area of the state.

At a press briefing on Saturday, Baba Tela, chairman of the task force on COVID-19 in the state, said the commissioner of health had been asked to find out the cause of the deaths.

Ibrahim Baba, a former house of representatives member, had written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking intervention in “the massive outbreak of coronavirus” in Azare.

Baba had said over 100 people died in the town within one week.

But Tela denied that there were multiple deaths in the town, saying only one COVID-19 death had been recorded at the Federal Medical Centre in Azare.

The deputy governor said other deaths in the town were not unusual as he had found out from the people at Azare.

“The death occurred last night, being the first death, while 26 patients that tested positive for coronavirus are currently receiving treatment at the isolation centre,” he said.

“A large number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in the state came in from Kano and Jigawa axis.I went to the cemetery to investigate the report of multiple deaths in Azare, but I confirmed that it was normal and seasonal deaths.

“Yes, they buried nothing less than six bodies a day, contrary to what was reported, so it was false reports.

“We agree that most of the deaths occurred within the same age brackets as those deaths recorded in Kano. The reason is that Kano, Jigawa and Azare have the same peculiarities.”

Tela expressed concerns about the gap between health personnel and the patients as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

“The medical personnel attend to patients that tested positive for COVID-19, and also treat patients for other ailments, but the state government and the stakeholders will come out with a robust system to fill the gap and retrain the health personnel that will only concentrate on patients that tested positive for coronavirus,” he said.

The task force chairman also complained about how some drivers found their way from Kano and Jigawa into Bauchi state.

He alleged that the conduct of the drivers transporting passengers from neighbouring states were endangering the lives of the citizens residing in Bauchi.