Kaduna gives breakdown of N400k spent on each COVID-19 patient

The Kaduna state government has given a breakdown of the N400,000 it said is used to manage persons who test positive for the coronavirus.

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, had said the state spends around N400,000 to treat each COVID-19 patient.

Giving a breakdown, Amina Mohammed Baloni, commissioner for health, in a statement on Sunday, said the total cost of managing one patient is N436,457; this amount includes the cost of renovating isolation facilities.

The commissioner gave the details as follows: diagnostic test – including swab sticks, test kit and specimen bottle — costs N21,650; personal protective equipment, N2,400; admission cost – including evacuation to treatment facility, utilities, tests for five primary contacts, medication and feeding — N319,550.

Other costs captured in the breakdown are renovation of treatment facilities at N45,221, and “incentives” for N47,636.

Baloni added that since March 2020, the government had commenced upgrading the Infectious Diseases Control Centre in Kakuri, as well as with other facilities in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria as part of efforts to increase the number of isolation facilities.

“The state is also building a new 136-bed treatment centre in Kaduna. From zero testing labs in March 2020, the state now has three molecular labs, one of which is private. The other two are in the Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital, Kaduna, and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika,” she added.

“Kaduna State also acquired 10,000 test kits for its GeneXpert machines, and a mobile testing vehicle to move around the state for enhanced community testing.

“On the personnel side, it has paid the agreed incentives for its frontline health workers and continues to provide decent care in its treatment centres.”

As of September 12, 2020, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a total of 2,262 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Kaduna.