The Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Katsina says its children’s ward is overwhelmed by an influx of suspected and confirmed diphtheria cases, while the number of infections and deaths from the disease in Katsina State remains unclear.
The hospital said on Saturday that patients were being referred from health facilities across the state, resulting in severe overcrowding and pressure on available bed spaces.
It did not disclose the number of children currently on admission, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases or deaths recorded so far.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on Saturday that the federal government had activated an emergency multi-agency task force involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the affected state governments and development partners.
The task force was directed to strengthen outbreak investigation and surveillance, intensify immunisation and expand access to treatment.
