Representative of the Minister of Defence, Olajide Johnson, cutting the tape during the activation PCR laboratory.

By Evelyn Usman

The Nigerian Armed Forces has activated a Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR laboratory in the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital , Yaba, Lagos, for Covid-19 test, with a view to facilitating seamless testing of Military personnel, their families and civilians.

Speaking at the activation ceremony of the PCR testing laboratory, Thursday, the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd) disclosed that four testing centres had earlier been established in Military formations, in line with the intent to promptly detect, confirm , isolate and treat cases of COVID-19.

The Minister who as represented by the Ministry’s Director, Health Services, Mr Olajide Johnson, explained that “ The testing for COVID-19 in the Armed Forces of Nigeria started on May 2, 2020, at the Defence Reference Laboratory, DRL Abuja, using the COBAS 8800 PCR machine. This has supported not only the Armed Forces of Nigeria but also assisted in testing samples from other states of the federation.

The testing capacity of the Defence has further been boosted by the calibration of two Real Time PCR machines ,ABI 7500 and GeneExpert platforms at Ojo Lagos, Makurdi and Calabar. The establishment of these laboratories have been made possible through the beautiful collaboration between the Nigeria Ministry of Defence and the United States Department of Defence , working through the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme and United States Army medical Directorate-Africa/Nigeria.

“ It is to be noted that the GeneXpert which was initially used to test for Tuberculosis was calibrated for the purpose of COVID-19 testing to meet the growing demand for testing across the country. The activation of this lab will further compliment the wonderful job done by the Lagos State government”, he stated.

In her remarks, the Country Director, United States Army Medical Research Directorate, Laura Chitteden, disclosed that Nigeria has had 156,963 cases of Covid-19 and recorded 1,939 deaths, amounting to 36 percent of cases and 21 percent deaths since it experienced its first case of the pandemic in February 27, 2020.

Noting that Nigeria had so far tested more than 1.5 million samples, she called for more tests, stating that though vaccines might have started coming into the country, it would take time to vaccinate everyone.

She observed that the collaboration between both countries had “ helped to protect the health of Military service members and their families and we have been able to leverage the capability, capacity and expertise , particularly in the area of testing, to impact the national response”.

Also in his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.Gen. Lucky Irabor, informed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria was one of the organizations that set up COVID 19 response committee as early as March 2020 and had since received huge support from the Ministry of Defence Headquarters.

The CDS who was represented by the Director Medical Services, Defence Headquarters, Commodore Simpson Ukpabi, said: “ We have been restrategising with the Ministry of Defence headquarter which has helped to train the first batch of 80 Armed Forces personnel that were equipped and distributed to all the geo-political zones of this country to work with health workers mostly in the capital states to get their own skills in infectious contain and prevention in contact tracing and case management.

“Recently also, a group was trained for sample collection”

In his welcome remark, the Director-General, Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, Brig. Gen. NE Okoji described the activation of the PCR laboratory as one of the gains of 15-year-old collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence.

The partnership, he explained, was established with the primary aim of curtailing the scourge of HIV/AIDS among troops, their families and civilians living around the barrack.

But he was quick to add that “ it has, in addition, delivered on human capacity development, infrastructural and laboratory upgrade of several Military health facilities, clinical research and treatment of other diseases of military and public health significance among which is Coronavirus pandemic

“We are here today to increase the testing capacity of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, using the LightCycler PCR Machine. This will not only facilitate seamless testing of the military personnel and families but contribute to the Lagos State response. Since no one will be able to determine when CoronaVirus withdraws this sustained attack on humanity, it is only necessary that we are ready at all times. We hope to continue this state of readiness by establishing other testing centres in other Military facilities over the federation”