Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has on Monday Commissioned a Molecular Laboratory which is equipped by the North-east Development Commission, NEDC with supervision from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC.
Bala Mohammed while commissioning the Center on Monday, said as part of effort to tame the spread of coronovirus, the center was established in order to fast track sample testing for covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
“The establishment of the Center became necessary following the difficulties faced by officials of the state in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic considering that samples had to be taken to Abuja and later Jos for testing, a development that was too cumbersome”
“I am happy for this ground breaking ceremony in the state because our efforts as a government have paid off. “The NCDC was approached for permission while the NEDC took the responsibility of equipping the Center and the state provided the structure. “With the establishment of the Center and commencement of operations, the issue of sample testing for COVID-19 infection will be laid to rest. At this juncture, I want to commend the committee for doing a good job”, the governor said.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission, Mohammed Alkali said the outbreak of the covid-19 in the north east prompted the commission to support all the states in the north east in the fight against the dreaded virus.
“We donated ventilators, ambulances, hospital beds, multi-parameter monitors PPEs, hand sanitizers, and infra-red thermometers to all the six states in the region”, Alkali said.
He said the molecular laboratory in Bauchi State was comprehensively equipped by the commission at the instance of the governor Bala Mohammed whom he said had express resolve and stewardship to ending the pandemic in the state.
He said the molecular laboratory in the state will include the diagnosis of other important disease hitherto not tested in the state.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Center implementation committee, Dr Ladan Salihu commended the Governor Bala Mohammed for ensuring that the establishment of the Center became a reality.
Ladan Salihu who is the Chief of Staff, Bauchi Government House further said that with the commencement of operations at the Center, Bauchi State has joined the league of few states that have such laboratory in the country.
