COVID-19: Kano Govt Threaten To Shutdown All Lab, Scan Centers

Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency has directed the 300 private health facilities in the state to operate within their registered competencies or risk being closed down.

The agency also advised laboratories and scan centres in the state to stop operations in the time being, while threatening to shut down private hospitals with inadequate personal protective equipment.

Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Usman Eti told The PUNCH on Friday that the directive was part of measures taken by the state government to ensure that private health practitioners were not exposed to coronavirus.

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Eti said, “The directive is being monitored in conjunction with the Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives and Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria.

“Private isolation centre with PPE and standard settings should be designated, so as to have options and avoid the Lagos scenario. Because some must look for private care.

“Telemedicine and all electronic channels shall be employed to give care with minimal patient contact.

“All diagnostic centres, laboratories as well as scanning centres have been advised to closed down.”

According to him, the agency in collaboration with other stakeholders including the coronavirus task force team in the state would scale up surveillance to ensure compliance.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as of Thursday night said 73 of the total 981 COVID-19 cases were reported in Kano State.