Coronavirus: FG scales up capacity to conduct tests, for rapid diagnostics

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made this known on Sunday on Channels Television, Programme “Politics Today”, while, speaking on the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria..

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the FMOH also said it will upgrade its laboratories in Oyo, Ebonyi and Borno, to ensure prompt case management of epidemic and pandemic outbreaks in the country.

NAN, reports that Nigeria had earlier set up five Molecular laboratories with this capacity.

These are located in the NCDC’s National Reference laboratory,Abuja, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Redeemer's University Nigeria, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos

Ehanire disclosed that the Virology Laboratory of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, has now been added to the five functional Molecular laboratories in the country.

He said that the six molecular laboratories have the capacities to detect the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19), pandemic outbreak.

He noted that this would ensure prompt case management of COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks in the country.

“We do targeted testing majorly.Targeted testing helps us to be more focused .We want to be as fast as possible in curtailing the spread,” he said.

He disclosed that the government would be collaborating with a private laboratory in Kaduna state to enable the state to also test for the virus.

Ehanire said that samples from cases that meet the case definition would be collected by the State Epidemiology Team, and transported through a defined process from the state to one of the testing laboratories.

“The inclusion of more laboratory will increase the capacity to detect cases in the country," he noted.

He, however disclosed that a Molecular laboratory in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state would soon be set up and would also have the capacity to test for COVID-19.

The minister said that each laboratory would continue to provide diagnostic support for a defined number of states in the country.

Meanwhile, the Minister said that the restriction of movement in Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory, was necessary to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in the country.