AKWA IBOM BEMOANS BREACH OF COVID19 TESTING PROTOCOL
Owing to the irregularities observed in the testing and reporting procedure, Health Care Professionals in Akwa Ibom State have called for an immediate reconfirmation test on the 5 reported cases.
The Health Care Professionals have also appealed to the National Center for Diseases Control to ensure that all future tests are conducted following due process in order to maintain continued confidence in the process.
At a press briefing Thursday in Uyo, the State Commissioner for Health Dr. Dominic Ukpong said there was “a disturbing breach in the test and reporting procedure,”and that the “Akwa Ibom State Government only heard about the test results in the news.”
He said at the time of the report, he immediately contacted the Director General of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) who at the time was not aware of the reported result which was on the twitter handle of his agency.
The Health Commissioner maintained that, “while the tests were being processed in NCDC approved test facilities, all suspected cases were held in isolation,” and maintained that all 5 reported positive test cases have been quarantined in the state isolation medical facilities in Uyo.
Dr. Ukpong said previously, several sample batches had been sent for testing from Akwa Ibom State and they all returned negative results, and wondered why the same procedure was not followed in this instance.
He enjoined residents and citizens to remain calm while observing all personal and respiratory hygiene guidelines earlier issued as well as adhere to the social distancing prescriptions.
“The Enforcement Committee of the Quarantine and Restriction of Movement Regulations 2020 have been mandated to see to the full operation of the provisions of the regulations, he stated, adding that, “the Incident Management Committee will continue to meet on a daily basis to review and analyze the situation while updates will be provided as and when due.”
Commissioner Ukpong assured that the State Government had been in contact with the entire medical team of the foreign medical mission that undertook the medical assignment in Ibesikpo Asutan following the report that one member of the team had tested positive in United States of America and had send the samples for test, and is also currently on contacts tracing of those who participated in the free medical exercise that ended at the Nigerian Police Hospital, Ikot Akpan Abia on March 13,2020.
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