A COVID-19 testing laboratory will soon be set up at the State House Clinic.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday in Abuja at the commissioning of the State House Clinic Special Care Centre.
Mustapha explained that the Buhari administration is making use of the challenges from the pandemic as an opportunity to restructure Nigeria’s health sector.
‘‘From just two molecular laboratories for the testing of COVID-19 in Nigeria, we now have over 100 molecular laboratories, public and private, across the 36 States of the Federation.
‘‘I want to commend the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Tijani Umar and the State House management under whose leadership this beautiful edifice is being commissioned. I am confident that when the Minister of Health visits, whatever he decides, I can give you my word that we will put a laboratory for testing or a PCR facility in State House Clinic. This is supposed to be our priority.
‘‘I will also speak to the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who has the primary responsibility of resourcing, setting up and accrediting laboratories because we need it here.” he said.
Speaking on the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines for Nigerians, he said the federal government will continue to urge Nigerians to get vaccinated when the time comes saying, ‘‘the vaccines are safe, effective and for our benefit.’’
He said, ‘‘We will appeal and explain to our people that if you do not take the vaccine, the danger of falling terribly sick and eventually dying is there.”
‘‘We will be blunt to them that if you don’t take the COVID-19 vaccine, you may not be able to go anywhere in the world, very soon. Even when you want to go and perform your spiritual obligation, that will be subjected to your COVID-19 status.’’
