ABUTH, ABU Zaria to collaborate with KDSG to establish COVID-19 detection centre

The Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU),  the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) are to  collaborate with the  Kaduna State Government (KDSG) to establish a COVID-19 detection centre in Zaria.

Prof. Sani Ibrahim, the Director of Research and Innovations, ABU Zaria,  said this during the evaluation of  facilities at ABU and ABUTH by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday in Zaria.

He  said that  the ABU was fully prepared for the COVID -19 detection centre and  that the university had been working on the detection centre for over two weeks in conjunction with the  Kaduna State Government and ABUTH.

“We see it as a challenge and part of our corporate social responsibility.

“ If Kaduna State has another centre,  it will fast reduce the time taken for someone’s sample to be taken to Abuja for analysis.

“It will also make it cheaper and faster to get results. Early detection is key to the control,’’ he said.

Ibrahim said  that the university had noted  the concerns of the NCDC, adding that it had also commenced ordering some of the items as required by the NCDC.

“We are hoping that  in the next two days, we will be ready for them” he said.

Also, Dr Nnameka Ndomdo, the Chief Bio-molecular Engineer, National Reference Laboratory of the  NCDC,  said  that the agency  had been attaching  importance to the establishment of  a COVID-19 detection centre in Kaduna State.

According to him, the NCDC wants the centre to be established in a state or in a  federal public institution, hence the evaluation of the facilities at ABU and ABUTH.

“I see a huge facility available which can be deployed for detection of COVID-19 and even beyond.

“The Center of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases at ABU has  many things  in place and what remains is just the way they ought to be and get the people ready to start using it.

“It’s an excellent facility that needs to be deployed for good science in Nigeria,’’ he said.

He said that the people working in such facilities should  be protected as well as the environment , stressing that  the NCDC was strongly emphasising safety of people and the environment.

In his remarks, Dr Hamza Abubakar,  the Co-Chair of Kaduna State Emergency Operation Centre for COVID-19 said the Zaria COVID -19 detection centre was a  tripartite arrangement among Kaduna State government, ABU and ABUTH.

Abubakar,  also the Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board, noted that ABU has a Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Bio Technology; as such they are advanced in that field.

He added that with the tripartite arrangement, the State Government would tap from the high level manpower from ABU and ABUTH in its COVID-19 control efforts. (NAN)