Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has said the team of 15 Chinese medical professionals who arrived at the Abuja, on April 8, 2020, with medical equipment worth about $1.5 million, will undergo coronavirus (COVID-19) testing as the mandatory 14-day isolation ends Monday.
The Chinese medical team is made up of doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this disclosure at the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19.
The team is expected to begin work tomorrow after the completion of the 14-day quarantine period.
Ehanire said: “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 infected.”
Recalled the arrival of the Chinese doctors by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was highly criticized by most Nigerians especially doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Pandemic and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, had defended the Chinese experts being in the country, saying the support from China is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by CCECC, a company with total value of infrastructure contracts worth $10 billion in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health has said all persons diagnosed with COVID19 will be henceforth preferably treated in the state where the diagnosis was made rather than to be referred to another state.
He 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.”
Reacting to cry by 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.
Ehanire said: “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.”
He said as of 22nd April, 2020, 782 people in 24 states and the FCT have been confirmed to have COVID-19.