Disease claims 4 lives in Sokoto LGA

Meningitis claimed the lives of four persons in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State this month, according to the council chairman, Alhaji Salisu Gandi.

Gandi disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after visiting patients afflicted with meningitis in Gwaddodi and Riji dispensaries as well as Rabah General Hospital.

NAN recalls that the State Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Kakale, had on Monday said 23 people died of meningitis in seven worst hit local government areas of the state.

The affected local governments were Kebbe, Bodinga, Rabah, Wamakko, Gada, Dange/Shuni and Tureta.

Gandi said that Gwaddodi Dispensary recorded one death while three deaths were recorded in Rabah General Hospital before the situation was brought under control.

According to him, the local government has set up isolation camps across 10 wards in the area for the speedy treatment of patients.

Gandi said: ”The state government has since deployed a medical team, ambulances, free drugs and medicament to the local government area.

”The local government also bought drugs worth more than N1million as well as deployed additional medical teams and ambulances to complement the efforts of the state government.

”This swift intervention by the Sokoto State and Rabah Local Governments has led to the drastic reduction of the cases.”

Gandi said that the massive sensitization campaign by the state and the local governments paid off as the people were reporting suspected cases to the hospitals.

He said that the campaign centred on enlightening the people against linking the epidemic to witchcraft or sorcery.

Mr Abubakar Bala, Officer in Charge of Rabah General Hospital, told NAN that the situation had been brought under control.

”We recorded no fewer than 102 cases of meningitis in the hospital between March 3 to date, but the cases have drastically reduced.

”At present, we have only two meningitis-related patients on admission as against between 20 and 30 patients we recorded daily previously,” he said.

Bala, however, appealed to the state government to deploy more health personnel and provide ambulances for the hospital.

The leader of the State Medical Team deployed to the area, Dr Duru Romanus, also expressed satisfaction that the number of cases reported to the hospital had drastically reduced.

”Since last Saturday, a significant improvement has been recorded and there was no death,” Romanus added.

The Supervisory Health Councillor in the area, Alhaji Abubakar Gwaddodi, commended the state and Rabah Local Government for their expedited efforts to tame the ugly situation.

He called for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Gwaddodi dispensary, as well as the deployment of more medical personnel.

NAN reports that the state government had on March 20 declared a state of high alert in the health sector following outbreak of meningitis epidemic in the state.