Pathologists express concern over Inadequacy of Testing Centres

The College of Nigerian Pathologists (CNP),  has called on the  federal government to substantially decentralise the testing centres as a strategy to accelerate the control of coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The  CNP also appealed to the governments to fully support and motivate those in the frontline by providing them with  all the  the necessary working materials and appropriate incentives.

The body in a statement by its President, Professor Philip Olatunji also cautioned against the use of non-validated test kits in handling Covid-19 disease tests.

Professor Olatunji  also reacted to the restriction of some testing centres in the country saying;

“there were competent pathologists and medical laboratory scientists in the tertiary hospitals that carry out COVID-19 tests, thereby spreading out the testing centres across the country”.

The  five facilities are Lagos, Irua in Edo State, Ede in Osun State and the national reference laboratories in Abuja.

He said, “We do not see any reason why our tertiary healthcare centres where competent pathologists and medical laboratory scientists are situated, cannot carry out COVID-19 tests.

“We urge the federal and state governments to deploy a portion of the COVID-19 budget to bridge whatever deficiencies exist in our tertiary diagnostic laboratories, “ it said.

Olatunji said members of the CNP had been playing leading roles in case identification, case management and development of guidelines and protocol for infection prevention and control of COVID-19.

“The CNP wishes to remind all governments that those in the frontline must be fully supported and motivated through the provision of all necessary working materials and appropriate incentives.

“This is particularly important because, while educational institutions, markets, recreation areas, beaches, and religious places can close and communities can be locked down, hospitals must remain open and health care personnel must remain at work”, he said.

CNP also called for the adoption of a more innovative and quicker diagnostic approach as against the NCDC recommended Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) being used at the moment.

The statement also said that CNP was concerned about a possible abuse of Chloroquine arising from its purported usefulness in treating COVID-19 infection.

According to CNP, although some evidence was emerging about chloroquine efficacy, there was need for caution against inappropriate use of Chloroquine due to its damaging effect to the eye and interference with the functioning of the heart.