By Chidiebele Obika
The Onitsha General Hospital has joined the elite league of specialist health institutions running coronavirus detection tests.
The recent development gives the State additional armour in its fight against the raging pandemic, providing capacity for increased samples testing.
Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano disclosed that the Onitsha multi-specialty hospital is the first secondary healthcare centre to provide testing for COVID-19 in the country.
He made this known through his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala during the sixth edition of “Meet the Media” chat with the Governors Media Group which held last Thursday at Jerome Udorji Secretariat in Awka.
” When we were sending COVID 19 samples to Specialist Hospital at Irrua, Edo state; usually it took 2 days for the result to be out, but later the duration increased to 10 days and we got worried.
” So, we acquired Abbot machines from America which we used in setting up the NCDC certified molecular testing laboratories at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka. It is operational now.
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The Onitsha general hospital is the only general hospital in Nigeria that tests for COVID 19. We opened a gene expert testing centre and acquired Bs12 and Bs13 platforms which can perform 4tests per run between 45minutes -1hour. What it means is that we can test as many samples in a day as possible thereby containing the spread.
“Again, it is the first public health centre in Nigeria with central oxygen. Onitsha General Hospital has a 6-bedroom intensive protective centre. Each room has an anteroom to ensure no new air enters the main room and reinfects the patients”
Continuing, Dr Okpala noted that the state has collected a total of 1, 643 samples and currently has about 34 active cases.
Recall that on assumption of office in 2014, the Governor mapped out three general hospitals for an upgrade to specialist hospitals. The hospitals are Onitsha, Ekwulobia and Enugu Ukwu. The administration made far-reaching efforts in achieving that goal which saw the total overhaul of the centre with the construction of a helipad and other added essential services which hitherto were lacking.
The Commissioner reiterated the government’s commitment in ensuring that the disease is defeated in the state while urging Ndi Anambra to continue to observe all the standard safety measures so as to stay alive.
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