Kaduna explains N400,000 cost of treatment
From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna
Kaduna State Commissioner of Health Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni has justified Governor Nasir El-Rufa’is claim that it costs the government more than N400,000 to diagnose and treat a COVID-19 patient.
Dr. Baloni, who gave a detailed breakdown in a statement issued yesterday said the cost includes ‘’the healthcare infrastructure that supports the capacity to trace, test and treat”.
According to the commissioner, the total cost of treating a COVID-19 patient as well as the renovation of and equipping the four treatment centres and the surveillance of his or her contacts for 14 days amount to N436,457.
The statement added that pre-admission services, which include Diagnostic Test kits like specimen bottle and swab sticks costs N21,650 per patient.
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“Personal Protective Equipment for testing, especially gloves, disposable gowns and face masks cost N2,400,’’ Dr. Baloni added.
The commissioner further said the state government bears the cost of evacuating the patient to the treatment facility, which costs N3,500. The cost of feeding and COVID-19 support medication is N24,000.
The statement also stated that the state pays for the cost of pre-morbid drugs and complications and Personal Protective Equipment, amounting to N6,000, N6,000 and N48,000 respectively.
According to Dr. Baloni, the administration also foots personnel costs, pays cleaning agents, shoulders the cost of laundry, incineration, equipment, fueling and other utilities, amounting to N77,000.
COVID-19 follow-up tests, including Test kit cost N20,000, while VTM costs N800 and specimen bottle and swap sticks cost N200 and N650 respectively, totally N43, 300,’’ she added.
The commissioner also revealed that surveillance of a COVID-19 patient costs N3,500 and the tests for five primary contacts (Test kit-N20,000, VTM-N800, Specimen bottle-N200, Swab sticks-N650) cost N108, 250.