Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Government has affirmed that it is yet to send any of the state’s COVID-19 patients to the proposed isolation facility under construction at the Sani Abacha stadium in the state capital, contrary to media reports.
The state government, through the Coordinator, Kano State Technical Response Team on COVID 19, Dr Tijjani Hussaini, explained that the Sani Abacha isolation facility was still under construction at the moment.
In an interview with Daily Sun in Kano on Tuesday, the infectious disease expert explained that the proposed isolation facility, which was donated by the private-sector Coalition against COVID 19 (COCOVID), a coalition led by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, had not been handed over to the state government.
‘It is not yet ready for use as you can see in the said video. Interestingly, we have not told anybody and we have never said that we have sent any COVID-19 patient to the isolation facility at Sani Abacha stadium,’ he told Daily Sun.
According to him, ‘we have several Isolation facilities and centres in the state. Some of them are functional, some are not yet functional as at date.
‘The ones that are functional and are in use are the isolation facility at Kofar Dawaki, the isolation facility at Mohammadu Buhari Specialists Hospital in the state capital, the isolation facility at Imam Abubakar Urinolgy Centre and that of Daula Hotel, among others.
He added: ‘There are other isolation facilities that are coming on board in the state, given the number of patients that we have at the moment.’
Asked of when the proposed Sani Abacha stadium isolation facility would be ready for use by the state, Dr Hussaini explained that only the coalition behind the project could give the exact time they would complete their work and when they intend to hand it over to the Kano State Government.