The Bauchi state government has appealed to the federal government to support the state with financial assistance to enable it consolidate the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The State Deputy Governor Senator Baba Tela who is the head of the Special Task Force against coronavirus made the appealed at the ministry of health during a press briefing on Saturday evening.
Senator Baba Tela said although the North East Development Commission has pledged to support the state with some intervention to fight COVID, the state is still calling on the Federal Government for financial support to enable them contain the spread of the virus in the state.
“We are appealing to the federal government to support us; the North East Development Commission has also mulls possible support.
“Please let them hasten up with the support to enable us prepare well for the scourge of this pandemic”, he said
Baba Tela also said the state government has converted some section of Bayara General Hospital Bauchi as treatment centre for those who developed mild symptoms of the virus.
“In the next 24 hours, the state government will make available 150 beds spaces where patients who might develop mild symptoms will be housed and treated.
“we have also provided additional 85 bed spaces at Teaching Hospital Bauchi were severe cases will be treated
The deputy governor also debunks media reports that a patient who tested positive for the virus has escaped the isolation centre at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital.
“The patient has not escaped as erroneously reported, I want to believe that the reporter had sleep of pen, he is still under our management”, he said.
The deputy governor also said United Bank for Africa has donated some “substantial amount of money” to the state government as part of their corporate social responsibility to confront the virus.
He had not disclosed how much the Bank has given, “because we don’t want to discourage other banks or people from offering”.
Baba Tela says the closure of market and restriction of large gathering still applies, calling on people to respect the order.
Earlier, the state commissioner for health Dr. Aliyu Maigoro while updating the press on the situation of the virus in Bauchi said so far, no one has tested positive apart from the two confirmed cases.
He said the state governor has yet to develop symptoms of the virus and is reportedly doing well.
