Ekiti to carry out 400 tests daily
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has inaugurated a Molecular Laboratory to facilitate tests for Coronavirus in the state.
The Molecular laboratory has the capacity to carry out 400 tests daily.
Inaugurating the laboratory on Monday in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said with the installation of the facility, Ekiti now had the capacity to carry out 400 tests everyday.
He added that tests would be conducted in all the 16 local government areas of the state to facilitate early detection of Coronavirus and ensure timely and early treatment of any infected person.
The Molecular Laboratory, which is installed at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, according to the governor, is in partnership with 54gene, a company set up to provide genomic data for Africa.
The governor added that the COVID-19 mobile laboratory acquired by the state government is fully equipped with vital testing instruments and biosafety materials, including an autoclave, biosafety cabinet, centrifuge, heating blocks, vortexes, pipettes, and PCR machines to support COVID-19 testing.
“54gene will also furnish the state with operational support and staffing by providing molecular scientists with the necessary skill set required to handle the instruments in the mobile laboratory,” Fayemi said.
Commenting on the sustainability of the laboratory, Governor Fayemi said the COVID-19 mobile laboratory would remain in the state even after the pandemic has abated and would be utilized as a fully functional molecular laboratory.
He said the laboratory would bolster the state’s molecular testing capabilities and may be used by medical researchers and clinicians within Ekiti State in the event of any future outbreak.
The COVID-19 Mobile Laboratory is pioneered by 54gene, a health tech company accredited by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, which is already testing for COVID-19 in Lagos, Kano and Ogun states.