By GARBA MUHAMMAD

Health personnel from Zuru local government of Kebbi State, engaged in inter-state boarder screening operations, have cried out to government to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they conduct screening of commuters from other states.

Zuru local government borders Gadan Zaima in Zamfara State, north of Kebbi State; and Gamji about three kilometres bordering Niger State south of Kebbi State.

Ibrahim Kwoza, officer in charge of the medical team at 232 tank battalion screening point in Zuru bordering Gamji Niger State, cried out during an on-the-sport assessment of screening of commuters on Saturday.

Corroborating his SOS, one of the personnel interviewed who does not want her name mentioned said: “We buy face mask, hand gloves to protect ourselves while on duty and we are not entitled to any allowances despite working on two shifts for 24 hours.

“No shift allowance, no feeding allowance, no transport allowance, nothing, we just do the work at our own risk.

“Even the laser thermometer, we had to buy the battery from our own pocket.

“We screen over 300 passenger vehicles everyday coming from Lagos, Kwara, Osun, Niger, Kaduna, Abuja and Oyo states, who are either passing through Gamji to Zamfara, Sokoto or stopping Zuru.

“We sometimes get passengers or drivers of these vehicles especially from Lagos having body temperature of between 38-40°C. We do ask them to sit for about an hour, after which we conduct another test. If it drops we let them go.”

Mohammed Abdullahi Bubuce, Director Public Health and team leader COVID-19 Rapid Response Team, Kebbi State, when contacted on phone on the plight of the medical personnel said the local government task force did not send any request of such shortages of PPE.

“We did not get any request for lack of such PPE. However, we shall immediately swing into action and ensure that they get all the necessary equipment,” he said.

On competence of the personnel he said: “We shall soon commence training of medical personnel posted to inter-state boarders,” he added.

•PHOTO: Health personnel from Zuru local government of Kebbi State, during an inter-state border screening of commuters from Lagos, Kwara, Osun, Niger , Kaduna and Abuja at 323 tank battalion army barracks screening point Zuru, Kebbi State. PHOTO: Garba Muhammad

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