Health

COVID -19: Trial resumption of public schools in Cross River is alarming – NMA

Published

5 years ago

2020/06/13

The Cross River State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has raised concerns regarding plans by the Cross River State government to reopen schools, saying that there is a likelihood that the state has COVID-19 especially with the low testing capacity of the state.

The doctors made this disclosure in a press release dated 12/06/2020, signed by Dr. Agam Ayuk, State Chairman of the association, and Dr. Ezoke Epoke, State Secretary.

The doctors held that the “declaration by the Cross River State Government on the trial resumption of three public schools in each of the three senatorial Districts to commence on June 16, 2020, is alarming,” as the medical community in the state cannot ascertain the preparedness of the state “due to the unacceptably low number of test carried out.”

The statement further reads; “the gross under testing for COVID19 is a significant public health concern. The Covid-19 test breakdown by states as ay June 10, 2020, released by NCDC revealed Cross River State has carried out only nine (9) using the NCDC Molecular Laboratory.”

The NMA feared that the virus might already be in the state as “the increasing report of flu-like symptoms and loss of smell/taste in various hospitals and the state metropolis is an indication of potential community transmission of an undetected disease fitting the epidemiologic pattern of covid19”.

They called on the Presidential Task Force on Covid19, the Ministry of Health and the NCDC “to critically appraise the Covid19 status of the state” and support the state by accrediting the Dr. Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Hospital, a Bio-safety Level Three (BSL-3) Laboratory and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar as testing centers for Covid19.

It will be recalled that the Cross River State Government through the Ministry of Education, in a release made available on 11/06/2020 and signed by Mrs. Aniedi Ekpeyong announced the phased resumption of public schools in the state.