Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has directed the immediate mobilisation of drugs and other medical commodities to health facilities handling patients affected by the diphtheria outbreak in the state.

The Director-General of the Plateau State Drug and Medical Commodity Management Agency, PSDMA, Kim Jerry Bot, disclosed this on Monday, saying the intervention was already ongoing at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and Plateau State Specialist Hospital, PSSH.

Bot said the state government had acted swiftly following reports of the outbreak, while efforts were ongoing to extend the intervention to other affected health centres.

According to him, the state's Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, has also provided the necessary leadership in coordinating the government's response to contain the disease.

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"Governor Caleb Mutfwang has directed, and we have acted accordingly. Our workaholic Commissioner, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, has provided the requisite leadership.

"Medications and commodities have been duly mobilised to JUTH and PSSH, while we are already working on the other centres," Bot said.

He commended Governor Mutfwang for what he described as his empathy and prompt intervention in addressing the health emergency.

The directive came two days after the state's Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joyce Ramnap, announced the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state.

The Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, had on Wednesday disclosed in a telephone interview that the state government had intensified efforts to contain the spread of the highly infectious disease following the death of over 23 people in Wase, Jos South, Bassa and Jos North.

Baamlong had said some patients were receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau State Specialist Hospital.