UMC Zahir Hospital: sealed for treating severe COVID-19 cases

The Kano State Government has shut down a private hospital, UMC Zahir Hospital in Kano, for admitting and treating severe cases of COVID-19.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Muhammad Garba, announced this in a statement on Tuesday evening in Kano.

Garba said that the facility refused to refer cases to designated isolation centers in the state.

He said the action was in accordance with the standard set by the state Task Force on COVID-19, which required such facility to attend only to mild cases of the disease.

“As a result of its inaction, two confirmed patients with severe cases died, one at the facility and another on the way to the hospital,” the statement said.

It further quoted Garba, who was in company with the Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, during a visit to the hospital, that it would remain closed pending resolution of the matter between the management and the state government.

The commissioner stated that two patients with severe cases of the disease found at the hospital have been transferred to an isolation centre.

Other patients on admission were also taken to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Muhammadu Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital for reviewing, it stated.