The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Friday Aaron, has inaugurated three PCR machines at its Covid-19 testing centre in Port-Harcourt.
Aaron said two of the PCR machines were donated to the State government by Shell Petroleum Development Company while the third came from Total E and P.
“This evening we are here to celebrate, because it has been our goal to get a testing centre in Rivers State. Today, I am happy to announce that we can now do Covid-19 tests at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital courtesy of the Rivers State Government ably led by our own Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
“We also thank our partners, SPDC and Total, who have continued to work with us to fight coronavirus. The NCDC were here to install and activate the PCR machines.
“Since yesterday, we started running tests and by this evening, we will have results come from our lab. The good thing is that we have three PCR machines that will serve Rivers people,” Aaron said.
The CMD appreciated the efforts of the state governor, Wike for working hard to get a world class lab that would ensure more people are tested and treated.
He said: “We also have edged over other states because we received a donation of over 3,000 test kits and we have kits that came with the machines.
“In this hospital, we have a state-of-the-art molecular laboratory before now. That lab we use is for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C. The NCDC said for Covid-19 testing, we should get another laboratory. We have been able to meet up that request.
“I congratulate our governor and Rivers people for this achievement. It is undergoing safety checks and we then get the approval of the NCDC to start collecting samples.”
