The Kano State Investigative Panel on Mysterious Deaths has said that only 15.9 percent of the recently recorded mysterious deaths in the state were COVID-19-related.
Mukhtar Gandanya, the lead researcher, who submitted a verbal autopsy report to Abdullahi Ganduje on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, in Kano, said that only 255 people died from the novel coronavirus-related cases.
According to Gandanya, findings show that 70 percent of the deaths were due to hypertension, diabetes, and other illnesses.
He said that 60 percent of those who died were males while 40 percent were females and 76 percent above 50 years.
According to the researcher, who is also the Head of Department of Community Medicine at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, 1,774 people died between April 1 and May 2, in the eight metropolitan local government areas of the state.
“Kano Municipal has the highest number of mysterious deaths while Tarauni Local Government recorded the highest number of COVID-19 related cases.
He commended the state government for efforts in containing COVID-19 and training healthcare workers.
He urged the government to strengthen death registration at the community level.
Receiving the report, Ganduje said that it had put to rest the hypothesis on the mysterious deaths.
“The report of the Federal Government attributing about 60 percent of the deaths to COVID-19 lacks variables and correlations.
“I am going to personally take the Kano Verbal Autopsy Report to President Muhammadu Buhari, the secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, and the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire,” he said.
Source: The Nation
