Our COVID-19 Cases Do not Require Ventilators, Says Minister

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said most of the COVID-19 cases that Nigeria is handling do not require ventilators.

Ehanire made the submission on Monday at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 inter–ministerial joint press briefing in Abuja.

He clarified that only one of the coronavirus cases in Nigeria requires a ventilator as against others who require just the oxygen.

According to him, though the federal government is addressing the issue of the shortage of ventilators in the country, probably less than four percent of the cases confronting the country require ventilator.

He also said the number of available ventilators does not determine survival rate.

The minister also said ventilator shortage is not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that there is no one country in the world, including the United States, that has adequate ventilator.

He added that the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) is prudent with the test kit while testing for suspected cases of coronavirus.

The minister said the country would still need to obtain the regent that is required for the testing from South Africa, as such is not readily available in the country.

He said over 30,000 test kits are available in the country but will require conversion from the machines in the testing centre.

According to him, “Importantly, there are no Rapid Diagnostic Tests available that have been WHO validated because they often give unreliable results. Unless you have been tested in one of the six molecular laboratories for COVID-19 in Nigeria, your results are most likely useless.”

The minister also stated that in order to meet the demand that would arise as a result of the expansion of the case definition, the NCDC has added a new laboratory to its network of molecular laboratories for COVID-19.

 These include the Virology Laboratory of University College Hospital, Ibadan, while nationwide testing capacity will be expanded with the addition of seven more labs in three weeks in Abakiliki, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Sokoto.

Ehanire also urged the members of the public to note that testing is free and at no cost, warning that any one demanding to be paid or given a tip should be immediately reported to the appropriate authorities.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has said trucks of relief materials will be distributed to the three locked down states of Ogun, Lagos and Abuja by the end of last night.

Also, the Chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha, said he could give a categorical time frame on when the pandemic will last, saying with the determination of all Nigerians, the virus will be overcome.

Mustapha, who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said the federal government is doing everything to ensure conformity of policies with state governments, and it is doing everything within its powers to stop the case.