…18-Chinese doctors on their way to Nigeria
…as FG says fatality rate will remain low with help of citizens
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has assured that it does not deploy tests kits without validation. Director-General NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, was responding to a question amidst concerns that despite the fact that Spain and other countries are returning defective COVID-19 test Kits to China, Nigeria was welcoming them with open arms.
Chinese authorities recently announced it would investigate Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology following an accusation that it sold defective COVID-19 test kits to the Czech Republic and Spain at marked-up costs.
Speaking at the Friday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, he said: “We never deploy anything without validating its use. The Jack Ma Test kits are being evaluated at the moment, once we are sure the results are the same quality as what we have been seeing from existing tests, we will deploy them.”
He also said contact tracing has improved with the lockdown helping states like Lagos in recording tremendous success. The DG NCDC said: “All the focus this week has been to improve the levels of contact tracing, taking advantage of the lockdown.
In Lagos the lockdown has been especially helpful for our contact tracing.” Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said 18 Chinese doctors are on their way to Nigeria with medical supplies including ventilators, to assist in flatting the curve of the pandemic.
He explained that a group of Chinese companies working in Nigeria have donated medical supplies to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.
The items expected include commodities such as personal protective equipment and ventilators.“I have been notified of medical supplies from China, courtesy of a group of Chinese companies working here in Nigeria. A special cargo aircraft shall leave Nigeria in a few days to collect the items which include commodities, personal protective equipment and ventilators.
“An 18-man team of Chinese medical experts including doctors, nurses and other medical advisers shall come along with the flight to assist us. I must at this juncture commend our frontline workers who are doing a great job in case identification and management.
“As we prepare to contain COVID-19, we must not lose sight of other health challenges in our country. Routine health service must continue in our hospitals. Only a wing of tertiary health centres should be used for infected patients.”
The minister said nearly 3,000 samples have been tested for the disease, adding that Nigeria will witness an increase in confirmed coronavirus cases despite the lockdown.