The Enugu State chapter of Nigerian Medical Association has called for the establishment of testing centre for coronavirus in the state.
This is coming as the state Ministry of Health on Monday announced that 23 health workers, representing over 40 per cent of the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state had tested positive.
The state Chairman of NMA, Dr Ike Okwesili said it had become necessary that a testing centre was established in the state to reduce testing time to decrease the chances of transmission of infection before a positive patient is isolated.
Okwesili stated, “Some patients might have died while waiting for test to be done or results to be out, herein lies the need for research and development of criteria or major symptoms for empirical treatment. This is a standard practice in medicine; but as a novel disease, it is important that this is standardised. This might just be the next option for the paucity of test in the country to keep some unrecorded possible COVID positive patient alive pending the outcome of results.”
He blamed the upsurge in the COVID 19 cases in the state and the country in general to the failure of compliance and enforcement of already set infection prevention and control policy.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health Dr. Ikechukwu Obi, has confirmed 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the state.
