INNOCENT OWEH ABUJA
As cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria exceeded the 12,000 benchmark over the weekend, there are indications that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC may be facing serious shortage of reagents that is necessary for testing suspected patients.
Beyond this, logistic challenges occasioned by flight restrictions and high demand for the reagents may also be giving the Task Force cause for concern.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha gave a clue to this problem while giving an update on Monday in Abuja.
All these came to the fore when the Committee visited the National Reference Laboratory to have a first hand observation of how testing is carried out.
Boss said with the challenges on ground, stakeholders should start looking inward to address the shortfall.
Meanwhile, as at mid night on Sunday 7th June, Nigeria’s statistics were as follows, Confirmed cases: 12,486, Discharged: 3,959 and
Fatalities: 354.
Boss said, “the visit enabled the PTF listen to the challenges faced at the National Reference Lab and to recognize such challenges as opportunities because they represent motivations for action.
“The shortage of reagents and supply chain issues are global issues because the entire world is seeking to purchase the same commodities. To the PTF, the motivation for action is to look inward, plan ahead and develop our domestic capacities.
“This is because COVID-19 is neither the first nor will it be the last pandemic. What is certain is that we must not allow the next pandemic to catch us unprepared. The strategic thrust of the National Response is to test, test and test”.
The PTF also bemoaned manpower shortages and skills acquisition on the part of some frontline health workers.
Recall that a sizable number of health workers have been testing positive to the virus, a development that may spur more training on their part.
Boss stated, “The visit to the NRL has shown that while we ramp up capacity for testing, we must also enhance the skills and size of manpower to run the laboratories. Moving from two to a network of thirty technology driven laboratories and coordinating them is certainly not a small feat.
“It is therefore significant to mention that a major outcome of the 100 days assessment is the recognition of the need for States to scale up responsibility for their public health response. In the medium to long term, we hope to build a network of state public health labs that will bring about sustainability in public health response in Nigeria”.
The PTF chairman also seized the opportunity review the strides achieved by the Committee, announcing that its been 100 days since the index case was reported in Nigeria.
He said over 80,000 tests have been carried out in Nigeria, while the number of laboratories in the COVID-19 network has increased from 2 to 30 – with a laboratory in every geopolitical zone.
“The COVID-19 has taken the entire world by the storm because it has disrupted all known systems, including governance, economy, financial system, travels, healthcare. Even the best of health care systems and arrangements succumbed to the force of the virus.
“Within our national setting, the weaknesses inherent in our national health care systems were made glaring and needed urgent attention.
“Government determined immediately, to take on the lessons and to ensure that the healthcare system experienced tremendous leap in human and infrastructure development as well as policy focus, stability and direction.
“Within the 100 days under review, the following modest accomplishments were recorded: Over 13,000 health workers have been trained, increasing the human resource available for case management.
“More personal protective equipment and ventilators have been procured and prepositioned across the country. The number of beds available for isolation and case management has increased from 3000 beds to 5000 beds nationwide, “he noted.
According to the PTF Boss science and data has proven that Nigeria has entered deep into the community transmission phase.
He said data gathered has significantly helped in identifying 20 high burden LGAs that accounts for over 60% of infections in Nigeria.
He said, “The PTF is already pursuing precision actions on these high burden LGAs. It is therefore important for Nigerians to recognize the need to take responsibility and the significant role community ownership and risk communication will play in the future of our National Response”.
He noted that in the absence of a vaccine, Nigeria and the rest of the world must depend on public health, social measures and supportive management of confirmed cases.
He equally urged all Nigerians to take individual and collective responsibility by adhering to public health advice.
