Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Wednesday disclosed that the State Government is looking at ways to review and align activities of the state task force on COVID-19 with the operations of the Incidence Management Center (IMC) of the State’s Ministry of health.
According to the Governor, this is to reduce cost as well as to improve on efficiency in the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the State. He said this was especially because nobody knows the end of the pandemic. However, the Governor prayed that the pandemic ‘doesn’t take us beyond maybe one more year.’
Speaking at the report presentation ceremony by the task force on COVID-19 on Wednesday in Gombe Governor Yahaya stated that that State Government is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and that the government would reaching out to any organisations or individuals to ensure the success of the mandate of the administration.
Speaking on the establishment of the Molecular Laboratory (ML) for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the State, the Governor stated that: ‘Several attempts were made and I know what it took between us and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to get to the level that the lab has already been commissioned and testing commenced.’
He further announced that there are two more of the laboratories coming up. He said one which would be sited at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe is to be established with the support of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) as well as one by TETFUND which will be sited at the Medical Clinical Section of the Gombe State University (GSU). He added that both laboratories would be used for training and testing in the State.
‘I think the framework has been established, there are guidelines to be followed and there are international guidelines and practices that we can follow at all times, especially since nobody knows the end of this pandemic. But we pray that it doesn’t take us beyond maybe one more year,’ Governor Yahaya stated.