As the COVID-19 spreads across the country, Plateau State governor and Chairman, Northern Governors Forum (NGF), has disclosed that the state now has a testing laboratory that can test 1000 persons for the Coronavirus.
Speaking during a live morning show Sunrise Daily on Channels TV Friday, Lalong boasted of having the structures on the ground already and that the State was fully prepared for any eventualities.
“Before the COVID-19, we had Lassa fever, we had Ebola and the way we managed them on the Plateau was fantastic. Right from the beginning, my focus was on health and education and to that effect, we started building first-class hospitals in the state- about five of them.
“We renovated and equipped our moribund hospitals in the State. They are almost getting to full standard when this pandemic came in and when it came in, it was very easy for us to regulate it by setting up mobile courts for enforcement. A committee was already in existence.
“Already, we have about four good testing laboratories in Plateau State. The Jos University Teaching Hospital which was addressing Lassa fever and Ebola. The Plateau Specialist Hospital; it was equipped and even confirmed by the World Health Organization and then you have the NVRI laboratory, one of the best in West Africa”, he revealed.
Lalong however, regretted the way the facility was not being utilised and called on the Federal government to shift attention to the facility considering its importance to human health and agriculture.
“When I went there I discovered it was underutilized. So the Federal government should shift attention because it invested so much money.
“The laboratory was there and over 200 people were trained for the job. All they need was reagents to run that place and take care of the neighbouring states. Eventually, it was considered and NVRI has a testing centre. Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Taraba, Venue, part of Kaduna would come to that place. We are not sending samples to Abuja anymore, people are now coming to Plateau”, Lalong boasted.
