After 14-day quarantine: Chinese experts to undergo COVID-19 testing before deployment– FG

…patients to be treated in states of diagnoses henceforth

The 15 Chinese medical professionals, who arrived in Abuja on April 8 with medical equipment worth about $1.5 million, will undergo COVID-19 test as the mandatory 14-day isolation ended on Monday, the Federal Government said on Wednesday.

The team comprises doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this at Wednesday media briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, said  the team is expected to begin work on Thursday, April 23 after  completing the 14-day quarantine.

“I have ordered for the tests swap for COVID-19 to be done tomorrow (Thursday) and the test will be done for us to finalize if any of them has any infection,” he said.

Persecondnews recalls that some well-meaning Nigerians especially doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had criticized the invitation of the Chinese team following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

The Chairman of PTF on COVID-19 Pandemic and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, had defended the intervention of the Chinese experts, describing it as a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by CCECC, a company with total value of infrastructure contracts worth $10 billion in Nigeria.

On the treatment of persons diagnosed with COVID19 across the country, the Health Minister said henceforth such people would be  treated in the state where the diagnosis was carried out as against the arrangement of referring them to another state.

Ehanire said: “All persons diagnosed with COVID-19 be henceforth treated in the State where the diagnosis was made, rather than be referred to their States of origin except there is a medical indication to the contrary. This is to avoid the high risk of exposure of other persons in the course of transfer.

“Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and Pharmacists be forthwith prohibited from attempting to treat persons diagnosed as, or suspected to be COVID-19 patients, or else have their operating licenses cancelled.”

On the complaint of the Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Prof. Isah Abubakar that the centre had run out of test kits such as reagents, he said the centre had been given fresh supplies.

“There was a report that there have reduced availability of regents and they supplied that. But in addition to that, there was temporarily halt in activity because some of the workers in laboratory got infected and the laboratory has been shut down for decontamination.

“That was just temporary. But with regards to supply of reagents, there have been replenished, they have the PPE and reagents and they are working,” the minister explained.

On the COVID-19 situation report, Ehanire said as of April 22, 782 people in 24 states and the FCT have been confirmed to have the virus.