COVID-19: Govt set to get multiple diagnostic facilities

Abia State Government has received one of the two GeneXpert equipment ordered by the Ikpeazu administration in April 2020 from the United States of America. Meanwhile, the state rapid response team has in partnership with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) concluded test run of one of the GenXpert diagnostic equipment located in the isolation […]

Abia State Government has received one of the two GeneXpert equipment ordered by the Ikpeazu administration in April 2020 from the United States of America.

Meanwhile, the state rapid response team has in partnership with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) concluded test run of one of the GenXpert diagnostic equipment located in the isolation center at Amachara and is expected to commence analysing samples next week from the equipment.

Also, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, yesterday, donated one PCR machine to the state which the state government is also deploying at the Amachara facility to boost the testing capacity of the state.

According to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Osuji, who spoke in Umuahia yesterday, two of the testing equipment owned by the state government will be deployed in Abia State Specialist Hospital & Diagnostic Center, Umuahia, while the new GenXpert machine from the United States of America will be deployed at Aba to cater for the commercial city and environs.

Dr Osuji explained that the main advantage of the GeneXpert equipment is that it does not need an extractor, thereby reducing the chances of sample contamination and reduce exposure of laboratory personnel to infection. He informed that the state partnered with NCDC to train the laboratory scientists that will operate the facilities.