The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it has spent about
N800million in carrying out 16,000 covid-19 test in Lagos so
far.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this while
answering reporters question on COVID-19 situation report at the
Bagauda Kaltho Press Center, Secretariate, Alausa, Ikeja.
He said each COVID-19 test cost between N40,000-N50,000 and
16,000 tests have been carried out so far fully paid for by the
government.
“We have so far performed 16,000 COVID-19 tests in Lagos, which
is much higher than anywhere else in Nigeria.
“We are planning to test up to about 1,000 people per day very
soon in the next month or two we are going to be ramping up our
capacity to test.
“For now the government is providing testing free of charge and
the government pays about N40,000 to N50,000 per test.
“But as we ramp up our testing we are going to try and use some
means of subsidy for the test, either through insurance or through
some contributions from donors or from development partners to help
us to subsidize the test.
“For now the state government is providing COVID-19 testing free
of charge and all citizens who needs to be tested for covid-19
either because they are not feeling well or had a close contact can
get it done free of charge at any of our covid-19 testing sites on
the four laboratories,” the Commissioner said.
Abayomi said the state is about to roll out trial on
hydroxychloroquine and that with the solidarity trial the state is
participating in, two months from now it should get information on
the drug either as preventive or cure.
According to him, the government has identifed the centres to
role out the hydroxy Chloroquine trials and was considering various
dietary supplements that can boost or improve the immune system to
resist the virus.
The Commissioner also said Lagos is seeing a rise in its COVID
19 confirmed cases due to the increase in its testing capacity.
He also stated that government is looking at integrating the
concept of home based care of COVID 19 advising Lagosians to
present themselves for test, and guide against stigmatisation of
COVID 19 patients.
He urged the people to always wear nose masks in the public,
present themselves early for treatment, because most of the death
recorded were cases that were brought in late.
Abayomi said though Lagos and Kano have thesame demographic,
Lagos was recording more cases of covid-19 because it was doing
more testing than Kano.
According to him, while Lagos has four testing laboratories
running for almost three months now and doing three shifts, Kano
has just one laboratory which is yet to properly kick off because
of some initial teething problems.
Moreover, he said, the government has decentralised sample
collection centres with about 20 sample collection sites across the
state.
The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it has spent about
N800million in carrying out 16,000 covid-19 test in Lagos so
far.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this while
answering reporters question on COVID-19 situation report at the
Bagauda Kaltho Press Center, Secretariate, Alausa, Ikeja.
He said each COVID-19 test cost between N40,000-N50,000 and
16,000 tests have been carried out so far fully paid for by the
government.
“We have so far performed 16,000 COVID-19 tests in Lagos, which
is much higher than anywhere else in Nigeria.
“We are planning to test up to about 1,000 people per day very
soon in the next month or two we are going to be ramping up our
capacity to test.
“For now the government is providing testing free of charge and
the government pays about N40,000 to N50,000 per test.
“But as we ramp up our testing we are going to try and use some
means of subsidy for the test, either through insurance or through
some contributions from donors or from development partners to help
us to subsidize the test.
“For now the state government is providing COVID-19 testing free
of charge and all citizens who needs to be tested for covid-19
either because they are not feeling well or had a close contact can
get it done free of charge at any of our covid-19 testing sites on
the four laboratories,” the Commissioner said.
Abayomi said the state is about to roll out trial on
hydroxychloroquine and that with the solidarity trial the state is
participating in, two months from now it should get information on
the drug either as preventive or cure.
According to him, the government has identifed the centres to
role out the hydroxy Chloroquine trials and was considering various
dietary supplements that can boost or improve the immune system to
resist the virus.
The Commissioner also said Lagos is seeing a rise in its COVID
19 confirmed cases due to the increase in its testing capacity.
He also stated that government is looking at integrating the
concept of home based care of COVID 19 advising Lagosians to
present themselves for test, and guide against stigmatisation of
COVID 19 patients.
He urged the people to always wear nose masks in the public,
present themselves early for treatment, because most of the death
recorded were cases that were brought in late.
Abayomi said though Lagos and Kano have thesame demographic,
Lagos was recording more cases of covid-19 because it was doing
more testing than Kano.
According to him, while Lagos has four testing laboratories
running for almost three months now and doing three shifts, Kano
has just one laboratory which is yet to properly kick off because
of some initial teething problems.
Moreover, he said, the government has decentralised sample
collection centres with about 20 sample collection sites across the
state.