Covid-19: Cross River Testing Centre Awaits Accreditation
…Stanbic IBTC donates 1056 PCR Test Kits
The Cross River State Government Monday revealed that an invitation extended to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for accreditation of the Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Infectious Disease Hospital in Calabar is due this week.
This was made known by the Honorable Commissioner for Health and Chairman, Cross River State Covid-19 Response and Taskforce, Dr Betta Edu while accessing the Lab with 1,056 PCR Extraction test kits donated to the State by Stanbic IBTC Bank.
Dr Edu on behalf of the state government thanked Stanbic IBTC management as she described the gestures to be in tandem with the spirit of the time. She added that all necessary arrangements has been finalized by the State Government for the arrival of officials from both the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC before the weekend.
According to the Commissioner, the facility will accelerate testing and results for the novel Coronavirus as against sending samples out of the state which is both capital intensive and time consuming.
“With the State having such number of PCR test kits with more to come from NCDC which is expected to boast the efforts put forth by the Government in terms of testing, we can now run over a hundred tests within the shortest possible time and the stress of sending samples to Irua and other accredited laboratories will become a thing of the past.
“Cross River State is blessed with one of the best reference laboratory in Nigeria. The PCR and GeneXpert Machines in our laboratory that was used for TB and HIV are all very functional and with the latest configuration can conduct over 100 tests at the same time”.
She applauded Cross Riverians for their sportsmanship irrespective of the many challenges posed by the pandemic. She also assured residents of government resolve to taming the virus.