COVID-19 claims retired civil servant as first casualty in Kaduna

… government approves daily incentives, life insurance for health workers

By Ajuma Edwina Ogiri

A retired civil servant in Kaduna State has died of COVID-19 as the state’s first casualty, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Baloni, has announced.

About two weeks after the state was hit by the pandemic, it has so far recorded 35 cases.

Baloni said in a statement on Saturday that the deceased had underlying medical conditions and also concealed his recent travel to Kano when he visited public and private hospitals.

“The man was eventually admitted at the isolation centre with respiratory distress, where he eventually passed away.

“The man’s family has been informed of his demise, and he has since been buried according to the burial protocol of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), ’’ she said.

Workers who attended to the deceased have been isolated as well as his family members while health officials in the state are decontaminating the two hospitals that the deceased visited, Baloni added.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has announced that it will pay daily incentives to frontline health workers and provide them  additional insurance coverage for death and disability.

The Commissioner said high-risk staff would receive a compensation of N15,000 per day, while Medium risk staff will get N10,000 per day and low-risk staff N5,000 daily.

`The insurance package includes death benefit of N5 million, disability benefit of N2.5 million and COVID-19 infection cover of N100,000 daily for 10 days.

“This package has been enhanced from the initial set of benefits donated by Leadway Assurance. Kaduna State Government is paying additional premiums to increase the assured sum for death and disability to the amounts stated above. The Occupational Safety Incentive takes effect from April 2020,” Baloni said.

She commended health workers in the state for their dedication and professionalism in the efforts to contain and manage COVID-19.