Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has ordered the State Ministry of Health to conduct verbal autopsy of those who have lost their lives over the weekend as a result of various strange ailments.

The state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba who announced this in a statement made available to journalists in Kano on Monday, said a combined team from the state Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been drafted to eight Local Government Areas within the Kano Emirate Council to perform the autopsy exercise.

“I am pleased to inform the good people of Kano state that verbal autopsy to determine the real cause of the deaths of our citizens who lost their lives over the weekend has begun in earnest.

“Following the directive of the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, health experts from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC have been drafted to visit the families and relatives of the dead so as to trace their medical history, with a view to ascertain what really led to their deaths,” Garba stated.

According to him, the state Ministry of Health is also working round the clock to ensure adequate availability of drugs for common ailments such as malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, among others.

“Our primary healthcare system has also been re-activated across the 44 Local Government Areas to guarantee easy access to healthcare delivery, even as we continue to battle the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic,” the Commissioner added.

Garba, who called for calm, urged residents to continue to strictly adhere to the advice from health experts on how to avoid the contraction of COVID-19.

“At this point, all of us must come together, irrespective of religious and political affiliations, to overcome this health challenges facing our great state.

“We solicit for the cooperation of religious leaders, political leaders, opinion leaders, community leaders, traditional rulers and every other stakeholders to enlighten our people on the need to stay safe and stay healthy.

“The state government also wishes to passionately appeal to residents to religiously observe the lockdown order, stay at home, observe personal hygiene, wash their hands regularly, observe social distancing and also pray fervently for the end of this dark era of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

“Together, we shall win this war. This turbulent times shall pass away. We shall come out stronger and better; and our dear state will be great again,” he stated.