Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Epidemiologist, Dr. Bile Nuhu, on Tuesday said the state has established 16 isolation spaces across selected boarding schools for effective management of covid-19 in schools.
He said it is referred as spaces because it is not a centre, adding that it is for the management of mild cases of covid-19.
According to him, “Schools have clinics- in- charge from Ministry of Health. Out of the twenty (20) boarding schools in Gombe state, we used the checklist that looks at the structures on ground and the components in the structures that are ideal that can serve as isolation spaces for just mild cases not severe cases. Severe cases have to go to isolation centres.
“So we have established sixteen (16) isolation spaces out of twenty (20) boarding schools because the remaining four (4) didn’t meet up with the criteria for school isolation spaces. We looking at how to upgrade the other four that have not been able to meet the criteria, both ministries of health and education are collaborating to see how the basic minimum criteria needed for establishment of school isolation spaces are attained.”
He added that nineteen students, out of twenty two cases have recovered from coronavirus among those sitting for final year examination.
“19 have recovered, we are left with 3 now.we look forward to screening all the students which runs into tens of Thousand for now only students in final year and exiting classes are the ones in school. It is good students are coming in batches and not all of them at the same time. The positive ones are kept out and then treated and managed before they are integrated fully without distorting their examination.
“We have trained school health masters and clinic-in-charge on basic management procedures of covid-19 and surveillance. We have taken consumables like face masks, hand sanitizers, gloves and infra red thermometer but the testing of students is our own responsibility. Parents should be more comfortable that students are more taken care of in their schools,” Nuhu said.