FG’s report on strange deaths in Kano is misleading - Governor Ganduje

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has criticized the federal government’s report which attributed 50-60 percent of the 979 unexplained deaths in Kano state to COVID-19.

Reacting to the Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie’s comment of Coronavirus being the cause of most deaths recorded in Kano weeks ago, Ganduje said a verbal autopsy conducted by the state countered the claim.

He insisted that the federal government’s report is “misleading” as the verbal autopsy revealed that only 15.9% of the strange deaths were related to COVID-19.

Ganduje said;

“The report of the Federal government showing 60 percent dying from COVID-19 lacks all the variables, lacks correlations, it did not pass the time of basic validity and reliability, signifying nothing and misleading everybody.

“This report, which was scientifically conducted, has put to rest all postulations, predictions, permutations and all hues cries about the mysterious deaths.

“When I went through the literature review, I understood how good the findings are.

“A retrospective study of mortalities was conducted over approximately 2-weeks (27th April – 15th May 2020); across 8 metropolitan LGAs (Gwale, Fagge, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo, Nassarawa, Kano Municipal and Dala).

“COVID-19 might have contributed in 15.9 % of the cases of mortality but within the limitations of the verbal autopsy method that cannot provide confirmation.

“Some deaths may be related to disruption of medical care and socio-economic activities due to fear of contracting COVID-19, which usually happen during epidemics.

“If the mysterious deaths were COVID-19 related, the deaths could have come more from local governments that have more COVID-19 cases.

“Tarauni local government for example, with 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases is the 1st in pandemic ranking, but in the mysterious deaths it is rated 7th.”

The Kano state Governor promised to pass on the report to the President Muhammadu Buhari, Boss Mustapha, chairman of the presidential task force on COVD-19, and the minister of health Ehanire Osagie.