₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government, says the slow rollout of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test Results is due to a combination of stringent rules aimed at ensuring its reliability.

Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, the Minister for States, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), made this disclosure on Sunrise Daily, Channels Television, on Wednesday in Abuja.


Mamora said that PCR was the most commonly used test for diagnosing COVID-19 because of its high accuracy .

He explained why the pace of Nigeria’s testing seemed slow and was not getting the needed turnaround.

“Each test takes about hours once a sample reaches a centralised testing lab, with the time split between sample preparation and the actual PCR test”.

The minister said that Nigeria preferred the molecular testing, as opposed to the rapid testing, which a number of countries had adopted, which he also said were prone to errors.

He explained that most PCR tests for the coronavirus were being done with big, expensive automated machines that could do many tests at once

Mamora said the government had increased the laboratories by 100 per cent; Lagos -three, Abuja-two, Irua-one, Ibadan UCH-one, Iree-one, Jos-one, Kano-one and Abakaliki- one; 11 laboratories altogether mow in the network.

He noted that testing in the country had increased by 50 per cent to the current capacity of 1,500 tests per day, with over 6,000 tests done in the country.

Meanwhile, the minister also explained why the federal government did not include more states in the lockdown despite the fact that some states now have more cases than Ogun.

He said this was informed by the fact that a number of states had already put in their own measures to fight against the virus.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as at 9:50 p.m. April 13, there were 343 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria, 91 had been discharged with 10 deaths.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the 343 cases were recorded from 19 states in the country.

It also stated that the pandemic and majority of the active cases were in a stable condition.

Tomtomy98:
Noted..

But some Nigerians are gullible...They will still fall even if you come to their doorstep to advice them..

sanyaboy:
Good morning my people of this forum
last week I just notice a strong tissue in my right and
have used becham antibiotics and ciprotab nothing change even till I usually feel pain...
am early 30s

Antichristus:
The statement you responded to makes more sense. If the property, a proceed of crime, had been forfeited, there would no need to strike any deals. The deal would already have been struck and Patience serving a jail term for abuse of public office.

CoronaVirusRelo:
In a sane country,. The FG should have seized that property.

200-bed facility to be handed over today

*Ex-First Lady strikes deal with Aisha Buhari

Former First Lady Patience Jonathan has struck a deal to release her 200-bed hotel as COVID-19 Isolation and treatment centre.

The Abuja hotel, which is believed to be worth about N2 billion, is under interim forfeiture secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the court on April 30, 2018.

The former First Lady, it was learnt, struck the deal with First Lady Aisha Buhari, which led to her release of the hotel, under litigation, for use by the government at the critical time.

The First Lady, through her pet project, the Future Assured Programme, entered into separate agreements with Mrs. Jonathan and the Ministry of Health to convert the hotel into a COVID-19 treatment centre.

Mrs. Buhari made an offer to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, to equip it as a treatment centre to international standards.

Although the hotel will be formally handed over to the Minister of Health on Monday, it will be managed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) COVID-19 committee.

The Future Assured Programme is providing facilities like water, furniture, beddings, fittings and modern health equipment used to manage COVID-19 cases.

It was gathered that the “deal” between the First Lady and her predecessor was struck at a recent meeting by the duo at the Presidential Villa.

A source quoted Mrs. Jonathan as saying: “This is the time we must all come together, irrespective of political differences, to assist this nation to fight the pandemic. It is a time to shun politics.

“I will do everything to help this great country that has also given me the opportunity to serve.”

Investigation revealed that the First Lady decided to collaborate with Mrs. Jonathan to avoid the Future Assured Programme running into any legal crisis.

A highly-placed source added: “Since the dispute over the property is still in court, the First Lady opted to seek the consent of Mrs. Patience Jonathan on the temporary use of the seized hotel. This mutual understanding has removed all legal hurdles.

“After the nation has overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel will be handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health, which will in turn revert back to the EFCC. Those involved are, therefore, the Future Assured Programme, the Ministry of Health, the EFCC and ex-First Lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

“All the existing agreements are without prejudice to the final decision of the court on the property, which the First Lady said is owned by a separate entity, Aurora Foundation.”

About 1.15pm on Sunday, about 30 workers were seen putting final touches to the centre.

A 20-man team of mobile policemen was on the alert to secure the sophisticated equipment already installed.

A source said: “It is a five-storey hotel which can actually be upgraded into 300 bedrooms. But so far, we have fitted the ground floor and three out of the other five floors.

“All things being equal, the hotel will be handed over on Monday by the First Lady. We have been working day and night on this project.

Asked to be specific on the cost being expended on the upgrading of the hotel to a medical centre for COVID-19, the source added: “Only the First Lady and the Future Assured Programme could account for such.”

The hotel is located in a valley in Mabushi part of Abuja, off the ever busy Mabushi Kado Expressway.

By the description of Abuja Geographic Information Systems(AGIS), an agency under the Federal Capital Administration, the property is located at Plot No. 1758, Cadastral Zone, B06 Mabushi, and Plot No.1350, Cadastral Zone, A00 Central Business District.

Being a reseved area, the five-storey hotel is unique with its ash colour paint.

It is easily noticed by shoppers who take the route to one of the biggest shopping complex in Abuja, the Jabi Lake Mall.

Less than two kilometres to Jabi Lake, the breeze from the lake at night provides additional ambience to the facility.

Eminibaaleomomo:
YOU LACK WISDOM....

yommen:
Even if it's EGO distancing, I still support the NMA! So many died in China while these so called experts were there. The rates of death in Nigeria cannot be compared to theirs. In fact, they are the ones who need our help. Besides, they caused this whole thing initially.

xpool:
Always think twice, think beyond your limitations before altering a word.
Do not ever say what you don't know.
Also think of positives, negatives and possibilities.
Even if we need assistance, certainly not China. China is bad news.
We started this evil romance with China because of our corruption in loan usage.
The western world introduced conditions that would discourage corruption from our politicians, before granting us loans. We ran to China.
No race actually cares about black race , but China is a potentially dangerous evil.
The western world knows and they are battling it. But we can't battle it if it gets deep, we would become slaves.

mcfestgee:
SHOT YOUR MOUTH

successmatters:
Social distancing

•‘It is unethical for them to come to treat our patients’
• Says about 50 doctors in isolation, one dead

The Federal Government, last week, announced that a team of Chinese medical experts will be coming to assist health workers in the frontline to combat COVID-19 in Nigeria. Since then, there have been divergent views on the issue.

Many stakeholders in the country kicked against it. One of the health professionals which rejected the idea is the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA. But on Thursday, the 15-man Chinese team arrived Nigeria. Sunday Vanguard spoke to the President of the NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, on why his association vehemently rejected the Chinese gesture. Excerpts:

Why is the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, against the Chinese doctors’ visit to Nigeria?

We want to restate that we appreciate every country, individual or corporate organisation, out of its own volition, support for Nigeria in the fight against COVID-19 including the Chinese. We appreciate them, we know that this is a good gesture and we appreciate them and we know that the gesture is not under any compulsion.

However, we became curious when we heard that they will be coming to do support based containment and management of COVID-19 in Nigeria. As it is, the Nigerian health professionals are doing well in the containment of the pandemic. Even the United Nations applauded Nigerian health professionals for being able to come out stiffly to contain COVID-19.

And we have not been overwhelmed in treating our patients. It is on the basis of this that it became baffling when government decided to bring people to come and help us. There is flight restriction, so if there is flight restriction, even the most powerful man in Nigeria is not allowed to travel in and out of the country.

What is that big thing that this Chinese medical team has that it wants to impact on us? It is unethical for them to come to treat our patients. The best is to discuss with us if they say it is about hands-on experience so that we can be better informed and we believe this can be done through IT platforms.

Today we do telemedicine, tele-surgery and teleconference. We do not feel that is necessary to have their physical presence especially now that we have pandemic where human beings are the conveyor of many of these viral illnesses. And we should not forget that China is the place where this particular viral disease started from. It is on this basis, again, that the NMA believes that the Chinese medical experts have no added advantage to our treatment protocol and the management we are doing in Nigeria.

Again, while we are rejecting that, we observed that the Nigerian government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19, presented two different scenarios. At a time, they said the Chinese experts are technicians and will come to install things (equipment).

Looking at it, most of the supplies are consumables and Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs, and they are only bringing 50 ventilators. Ventilators are things that Nigerian health professionals are very conversant with. So there is no reason to ask them to come. Again, if they are coming because they have to train us, we can do it over IT platform.

This is why we say no to their visit and to also safeguard the health of Nigerians and that of our own and we say we should not have these Chinese medical experts in this country. We need to also state that symptoms or response to diseases or illnesses vary from race to race. Our response to COVID-19 by Africans, Caucasians, Mogolites are different because of our race, so you can’t just come and transmute the views of the Chinese as if we are all the same genetic makeup. This is another reason we say ‘look, we don’t need them’, that we are doing well, you don’t change the winning team, let us know what we are doing. However, government rebuffed this view that was a popular view and brought the Chinese to Nigeria.

The goods they are bringing are worth about $100, 000 which is about N40 or N50 million. Meanwhile, we have Nigerian entrepreneurs donating up to N1 billion and they were not given red carpet like they did to the Chinese when they came. This shows that there is more than meets the eye.

Meanwhile, the managing director of a Chinese company, CCECC, addressed the press that the people who were coming are immunologists, anaesthesiologists, intensivisits and nurses and these are direct career specialists in the treatment of illnesses and these cannot be technicians that have been claimed by the Ministry of Health and the Chairman of the PTF. During the press conference, the CCECC MD also stated that this group of Chinese will also treat some of the Chinese nationals in this country and we believe that it is another slap on the integrity and sovereignty of the Nigerian nation.


We remain resolute that the Chinese are not welcomed. We do not have any reason to have them come physically to Nigeria. We can learn from them but we can do that through IT platforms and what we are doing is the best for our country. We are enjoying the support of our patients and we do not need interference.

Do you think there are things the Federal Government is not telling Nigerians?

I will say it again; there is more than meets the eyes. I do not understand what they want to do and whether in their first 14 days they are going to be quarantined; if that is so, then, of what benefit? Can’t they stay in their country and send necessary files for us to read? Then, do interaction with us and discuss experience. I do not see why they must come to Nigeria.

Now that they are here, are you ready to share notes physically with them?

What this pandemic states is that we must observe social distancing. Even in Nigeria, meetings are not done by physical means. Meetings are done by social media, teleconference, Skype and other types of social appliances. So if we are in Lagos and we are doing meeting with Abuja or Ibadan, through that same way, you can do that with anybody in the world. It is not likely we are going to meet them or interact with them.

Like you said, meetings are done through social media and other IT platforms. Will NMA be ready to interact with them via IT platforms?

We don’t need them in Nigeria and that is the stand of the NMA. We are not against them assisting us but we are against them coming into the country physically and treating our patients.

How many doctors have been affected by this virus?

We have one doctor who died of coronavirus disease and we have between 40 and 50 medical officers are under isolation because they have been exposed or had contact with a positive coronavirus person.

What is the NMA stand about what happened in UBTH, where doctors committed medical blunder concerning two patients who they claimed tested negative the first time and later tested positive for COVID-19?

Every doctor is expected to observe international best practice either with a patient with COVID-19 or a patient suspected of COVID-19 or a patient that has no COVID-19. Anybody today can be a COVID-19 positive person because as it is, you cannot know who is a COVID-19 positive patient until you are tested.

So we advise our colleagues to maintain international best practice. Another wrong perception is that you must see test result before you commence treatment. Test is an integral part of the management. Sometimes, you have done your physical and clinical examination and you may start management, sometimes you may need to have a test result to confirm your thoughts, sometimes you may need to see a test result to direct you on how to go.

It is not mandatory that you must see a medical test result before you start treatment or managing. I don’t know the full scenario but I can tell you that it is a normal process in which you can see a doctor treating a patient based on his differential diagnosis pending when test result comes either confirming or bringing out the new diagnosis as the case may be.

With about 50 medical officers in isolation, do you think government has put in place adequate protective equipment in our various hospitals?

To be candid, it is not possible for government to provide all hospitals or public facilities the PPEs that are needed. Importantly, all doctors need to observe international best practice and everyone at the accident and emergency as well as isolation centre must have high index of suspicion as well as fully kitted with the PPEs. Our advice to our colleagues is, you must not do any heroic activity. You must put on the necessary gadget before you see that patient either the patient has been confirmed positive for COVID-19 or not.

The lockdown declared by the Federal Government in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja as part of measures to contain cornavirus disease spread will be ending tomorrow. How do you assess the exercise so far?

My assessment of the exercise is that it is fairly okay. We have not had this before; the level of compliance is fair but it could have been better. Many people have not been close to see the other side if we had failed to observe the lockdown government has prescribed. Unfortunately, there is a lot of hunger in the land. A lot of people are daily paid workers and it is difficult sometimes to keep them locked down in the house without having opportunity of getting their daily income. So, by and large, it has been fairly alright. It is better than if we have not locked down, it can always get improved. We need to talk more with our people so that we can get this disease eradicated from Nigeria.

How do you also assess Nigerian’s response in terms of facilities, equipment and management of the disease?

One of the most critical facilities is the laboratory centre that has to do with test and our testing process lags behind the population because we have grossly low number of test centres within the country. It is just of recent that the NCDC is trying to expand beyond the five centres in Nigeria and this has created room for us to have a backlog of people who have had contact and are waiting to be tested.

That one is not good enough. The other difficulty is the PPEs which we learnt are in short supply worldwide. We want government to look inward and see how some of our indigenous companies can start producing PPEs and other medical equipment so that we will not continue to go to other manufacturing countries for our own supplies.

What is your message to Nigerians as we battle COVID-19?

My message to Nigerians is that prevention is better and cheaper than cure. Let us put everything in place to prevent ourselves, our loved ones, our children and our parents from contracting coranavirus. Nigerians should wash their hands properly, with soap and water or use alcohol based sanitisers, maintain social distancing, when they sneeze, do it into a bended elbow or a tissue paper and discard it appropriately. People should also guard against touching the face, mouth, eyes and nose often. Nigerians should guard against public places, cluster places, shaking hands or hugging. If we keep to all these we will keep Nigeria safe.