A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Emeka Chinedu, has told the federal government that current regional based testing centres for infectious diseases are too limited in number to enable Nigerians know the real extent of COVID-19 infections in the country.
The lawmaker made the comment against the backdrop of reports that just about 2,000 suspected cases of the virus have been tested so far in more than one month since the first index case was discovered in Lagos.
He therefofe called on the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, to escalate testing of possible infected persons from the COVID-19 by setting up high-standard testing centres in every state of the Federation.
Nigeria currently has less than 10 testing centres for Corona Virus and other epidemics scattefed in the six geopolitcal zones of the country.
The lawmaker who represents Ahiazu/Mbaise/Ezinihite Federal Constituency of Imo State on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, made the call via a statement he released in Abuja.
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According to the legislator who had earlier presented a motion on the matter in plenary, the Federal Ministry of Health, should raise standards of Federal Medical Centres, to be able to accommodate the growing number of people affected by the COVID 19 pandemic.
“With the recent global developments, Nigeria more than ever, needs to equip and upgrade Federal Medical Centres, and government hospitals, with modern laboratories and diagnostic equipment, in order for them to be able to detect and contain any threat of epidemic in the country”, he said.
He recalled how COVID-19 started in Wuhan China, but has now spread to over 30 countries “with nearly a million people dead” from the global pandemic.
“I urge the Federal Ministry of Health, to immediately equip and upgrade all Federal Medical Centres and Government hospitals with modern laboratories and diagnostic equipment, to meet the global standards and test practices”, he stressed.
Rep. Chinedu observed “the deplorable state of Federal Medical Centres across the country”, saying they “wear the looks of glorified clinics, due to lack of modern equipment”.
In his opinion, “the poor standards at these hospitals, has led to wrong diagnosis of patients, who ordinarily cannot afford to go to private hospitals”.
He blamed the poor diagnosis, on few overstretched medical personnel and other inadequacies at Federal Medical facilities.
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The House is expected to resume next week Tuesday, from a two-week recess and take other emergency measures to tackle the pandemic.
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