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Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, on Tuesday, commissioned a molecular laboratory unit at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
The molecular laboratory was built for the hospital by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC).
At the event, Emeka Onwe, the chief medical director of the hospital disclosed how they lost about seven patients and some staff of the hospital to the coronavirus disease, between December 2020 – March 2021.
He pleaded with the NCDC to upgrade the virology centre in the hospital constructed by the Ebonyi State government to a regional Institute of Viral Study, Research, Treatment, and Control to serve the state, South-East, and the South-South effectively during an outbreak of a pandemic.
“It is worthy of note that during the first phase of COVID-19, we successfully managed some confirmed positive cases even though, unfortunately, some lives were lost due to late presentation to the hospital. We had a sad event where we lost some of our staff to COVID-19 but those that died of COVID- 19, did not contract the disease from the hospital and they presented late.”
According to Onwe a summary of the cases from December 2020 to March 2021 shows a total number of admission of 102 patients, two positive cases that are alive, 54 total negative cases that are alive, deaths with positive tests five, deaths with negative tests 17.
Addressing journalists, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director-general, NCDC affirmed that no medical intervention in the world can save more than the COVID-19 vaccine, adding that he has confidence in the vaccine.
He said the Centre’s role is not only to respond to the current outbreak but to make sure that the nation is stronger together as a country to respond to a future outbreak.
“Today, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control is privileged to hand over the new Molecular Lab built in the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. This is part of the federal government’s programme as a result of the Covid -19 outbreak, to support the country so that we will never find ourselves in this type of situation again.”
The director-general reiterated that NCDC’s role is not only to respond to the current outbreak but to make sure that Nigeria is better prepared to respond to a future outbreak. This has informed the Centre’s recent programme across the country to strengthen health infrastructure security.
“No medical intervention in the world can save more than the vaccine and we are confident right now of the vaccine we have been introduced to. I have taken mine about two weeks ago. Every member of staff in NCDC has taken the vaccine.”
The facility is well equipped to manage the more common infectious disease threat in Nigeria. But there are plans of expansion that would enable it to do more than diagnostics.
