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KATSINA — The worsening diphtheria outbreak in Katsina State has placed fresh pressure on the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina (FTH Katsina), with a sharp rise in suspected and confirmed cases overwhelming the facility’s Children’s Ward.
The hospital management, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the steady influx of patients referred from other health facilities had pushed available bed spaces beyond capacity, resulting in severe overcrowding.
According to the management, the situation has created significant pressure on the hospital’s capacity to provide care, particularly for critically ill children requiring urgent medical attention.
Despite the growing challenge, the hospital said it had activated measures to accommodate the increasing number of patients while ensuring that affected children continue to receive timely and quality treatment.
It also commended healthcare workers at the facility for their resilience and commitment, noting that medical personnel had continued working under intense pressure to care for children battling the disease.
“FTH Katsina is doing everything within its capacity to provide timely and quality care to affected children,” the management said.
The hospital, however, stressed the need for a coordinated response involving government authorities, health facilities and other relevant stakeholders to contain the outbreak and prevent further pressure on already stretched healthcare resources.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by some families affected by the outbreak over the situation at the hospital.
A bereaved father, who said he lost his son while receiving treatment at the facility, alleged that the hospital had become overwhelmed by the number of patients.
The grieving parent also expressed concern over the availability of medicines and the pressure on healthcare workers, calling on both the Federal and Katsina State Governments to urgently intervene.
He appealed for additional medical supplies, manpower and other necessary support to prevent further loss of lives, particularly among children being brought to the hospital for treatment.
The development has heightened calls for an urgent, coordinated public-health response to the diphtheria outbreak, with stakeholders expected to strengthen case detection, treatment capacity, medical supplies and preventive measures across affected communities.
As the number of patients continues to rise, pressure is mounting on authorities to ensure that health facilities in Katsina are adequately equipped to respond to the outbreak and protect vulnerable children.
Source:@LeadershipNGA
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