Tambuwal, Sultan, 250 stakeholders meet over COVID-19

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal and the Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar on Tuesday met behind closed door for over four hours on ways to prevent the deadly Coronavirus from spreading to Sokoto State.

It was reported that the meeting was also attended by religious leaders and other stakeholders.

Our correspondent gathered that about 250 stakeholders attended the meeting.

However the outcome of the meeting was not disclosed in spite of an earlier assurance by Alhaji Abdullahi Danko, a Permanent Secretary, to brief newsmen on the outcome.

Sokoto state has no isolation centre for now, as the construction of the centre is still ongoing at the Leprosy Hospital in Amanawa, a suburb of Sokoto.

When NAN visited the site on Tuesday, construction work was still going on.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Dr Anas Sabir, had told newsmen that there was no isolation center for Coronavirus in the hospital.

However, Sabir said UDUTH has a Lassa Fever center which has been in existence for four years, but added that the state government had approached the hospital for technical training of medical workers on Coronavirus.

At the Sokoto Specialist Hospital, the Medical Director, Dr Nuhu Maishanu, said a 10-bed capacity isolation center has be provided in the hospital.

Maishanu, however, said that materials needed for the centre to become functional were being expected “hopefully by Wednesday, March 25.”

Our correspondent recalls that the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ali Inname had said that the ministry is constantly monitoring situation across the state and had designated three isolation centers for suspected COVID-19 cases.

Inname said the centres were at Amanawa, UDUTH and the Specialists Hospital.