The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated the newly inaugurated Bayelsa State Molecular Laboratory, Research and Diagnostic Centre as a coronavirus testing laboratory in the country.
The facility, which was inaugurated by Governor Douye Diri on Tuesday, brought the number of NCDC accredited laboratories in the country to 66 in 34 states.
The NCDC, in a letter by the Laboratory Network Advisor, Celestina Obiekea, and addressed to the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health, stated that the laboratory had fulfilled the necessary requirements for a molecular laboratory to test for Covid-19 as well as met all successful validations and optimisations.
The letter further explained that the state would be responsible for procurement of consumables, equipment and other materials while the NCDC would support it with reagents and test-kits.
The NDDC said: โThis is to officially inform you that having fulfilled the necessary requirements for a molecular laboratory to test for COVID and all successful validations and optimisations, the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Bayelsa Medical University is now activated as a COVID testing laboratory in Nigeria.
โThe state will be primarily responsible for procurement of consumables, equipment and other materials while NCDC will support with reagents and test kits as available to all labs at the national level.
โThe lab is required to report daily test statistics to NCDC as part of the national testing data.โ
While inaugurating the centre, Diri expressed delight at the quality of medical equipment in the laboratory.
He said the setting up of the centre marked the end of the rigorous task of getting sample results from Edo and Rivers states.
Diri said: โFrom when we had the index case to the point of collection of samples out of Bayelsa to as far as Irrua in Edo State, it was not comfortable for us because it took a long time to get there; Same for the test and the sample results to be ready.
โThere were some results we got two months later from Rivers State. From that time, we became determined to have our own testing centre and laboratory.
โThen I gave a directive to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, and his team. Iโm happy because it is one thing to give approval and another to get it implemented.
โSo, I appreciate the Permanent Secretary, the Director of Public Health, Vice Chancellor of the Bayelsa Medical University and others who made it possible for us to have this centre. Now we have our own laboratory and test centre even beyond COVID-19. I call on Bayelsans to take full advantage of this centre.โ
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Inodu Apoku, on his part, described the inauguration of the centre as the most advanced measure and comprehensive COVID-19 response plan for disease control in the state.
Apoku said the centre had been adjudged as one of the best by the NCDC during the accreditation process considering the type of COVID-19 equipment in place.
He noted that the centre could process 200 samples in three to four hours, stressing that with a disease that spreads quickly as COVID, every hour is critical to containment.
