Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed Monday commissioned the State’s Reference Molecular Laboratory with the set up of 85 million naira to the centre to upgrade its services.
Speaking at the centre in Specialist Hospital Bauchi, the Governor said the funds is for the centre to test Yellow Fever, Lassa and other Hemorrhagic Fevers among other diseases.
The Governor said the state government is paying more than 15 million naira every 2 weeks for contact tracing and surveillance, case management, risk communication, infection prevention and coordination.
He said with the certification of the Molecular laboratory by the Nigeria Centre for the Disease Control, the development will significantly reduce the waiting time for result thereby improving efficiency.
” I emphasize that, this Molecular laboratory is one of our cardinal strategies in combating the spread of COVID-19 and Lassa fever outbreaks in the state.
” This laboratory was established under a joint partnership with the Bauchi State Government, the North-East Development Commission and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Bauchi State Government provided funding for the construction of the building and procurement of furniture and power supply.”
Governor Bala Mohammed assured that his administration will remain committed towards the provision of qualitative healthcare services to the citizens of the state through construction and renovation of health facilities across the state.
He said the administration will also prioritize the welfare of frontline health workers in the state so as to to tackle the challenges facing the sector and ensure effective service delivery.
” Today, I am happy to inform you that our strategies in the fight against COVID-19 is yielding positive results. I must specifically commend the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission for showing empathy with Bauchi State by leading his full weight and support to this initiative, this is the spirit of the Northeast.
The Governor expressed gratitude to the Commission for its palliative support to the state government in addition to the equipments provided for the smooth operation of the laboratory.
Governor Bala Mohammed used the opportunity to request the Federal Government to consider Bauchi in the proposed centres of excellence in medicine as significant number of people in states challenged by severe security problems in the Northeast have found sanctuary in the state.
On his part, the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali reaffirmed the readiness of the commission to support not only Bauchi state, but states of the region to tackle the spread of COVID-19 and other challenges that required support.
He said the support of the commission to the state government at this critical period of coronovirus is to assist the state to manage the virus.
The Managing Director assured that, Bauchi state will continue to benefit from the commission’s robust plans through the training of the youths in ICT and other empowerment initiatives.
Representatives of World Health Organisation, UNICEF and other Development partners who spoke at the commissioning ceremony described the laboratory as one of the best in the country and pledged their support for the sustenance of the centre. END
