THE National Emergency Management Agency has urged the Federal Government to establish coronavirus testing centres in the South-South.

NEMA Zonal Coordinator, Walson Brandon, said the testing centres would fast-track the healing of any patient with the disease.

Brandon, who spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the few testing centres in the country would not be enough to tackle the virus.

He said having testing centres in the zone would urgently give a picture of the situation inside the communities as far as the fight against coronavirus was concerned.


Brandon said, “States like Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River do not have testing centres and this is why we are appealing to the Federal Government to create testing centres in the zone )South-South).

“The testing centres will quicken the process of healing as taking samples of suspected patient to a distance place for testing will delay their healing. Again, the creation of testing centres in the zone will quickly give us a picture of what is happening in the communities.”


Brandon said NEMA was collaborating with (state) ministries of health and information to step up preparedness and response activities, adding that the agency was also partnering World Health Organisation to provide essential medical supplies to the states in the zone.

He said, “In Rivers State, test kits and ventilators are needed by health workers to rightly respond to COVID-19 with urgency and purpose. The public is urged to call the Emergency Number 112 at any point of distress.”

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