Posted by E.L.E.X on April 29 2020 under News
The Cross River State Government has accused the Federal Government of not providing her with enough sample collection test kits for COVID-19
The state ministry of health alleged it could not provide the needed number of COVID-19 tests because of the lack of testing kit samples.
Addressing a press conference in Calabar on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Health Dr. Betta Edu, who is also the Chairman of the COVID-19 response team lamented the attitude of the Federal Government towards the State.
She said
“Upon all that we have done in the State to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not have one recommendation from the Federal Government or NCDC Boss to say that the State started on time, you have done well, the country should emulate what we are doing and replicate same across the country, that has not happened.
“With 50 sample collection kits, for a population of 4.5m, how many tests do you want Dr. Betta Edu and Cross River State Government to produce in the week? These things are not available and yet you want us to embark on sample collection and send them to Irua or Ebonyi.
“For us as a State and with the limited number of test kits we have, we decided that only people who meet the criteria sent to the State from NCDC will be tested. The pressure is becoming too much and unnecessary. We were asked not to use locally available swap sample collection kits which we have but rather we should use the one sent to us
“We were told we were not testing enough and that is why we have not found a case. Due to pressure, we tested somebody who has not met the criteria last September, no fever, no cough, nothing else, no difficulty in breathing and she has a family history of Asthmatic”.
Dr. Edu said that the State has cried out to the Federal Government for support and she has yet to receive anything at all, “We received only 50 sample collection kits, 200 PPE and four body bags and four boots from the federal government” she regretted.
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