COVID-19: Virologist urges governors to set up testing centres in states

A Virologist, Dr Ishaku Akyala, has advised governors of all the 36 states of the federation to set up testing centres in their respective states, as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
Akyala, who is a lecturer at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, gave the advice in an interview with the Daybreak on Friday in Jos.
According to him, if governors can set up isolation centres, establishing testing centrs should not be too tasking.
Akyala said that one of ways of combating the COVID-19 pandemic was for government to expand the testing capacity across states.
He said that with N35 million, a diagnostic centre for testing of COVID-19 from the scratch was achievable.
“If we must make headway in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, we must expand our testing capacity across states of the federation.
“With N35 million, each governor can set up a diagnostic centre for testing coronavirus virus from the scratch and this includes supply of rest time, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) system for testing, training of laboratory personnel, installation and maintenance,” he said.
The virologist called on governors to reduce the salaries and allowances of political appointees by 70 percent and channel the resources to the fight against the pandemic.
He also advised members of the state Houses of Assembly in the country to forfeit their one month salaries to support the governors in combating the dreaded disease.
“Governors should cut down 70 percent of the salaries and allowances of all political appointees and use the resources to set up testing laboratories at the local government level.
“Let members of the state houses of assembly across the country forfeit their one month salaries to enable governors set up testing centers in their respective constituencies,” he advised.