The Director-General of National Center For Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, has affirmed the Federal Government confidence in the AstraZericca Vaccine received for the treatment of Covid-19 virus.
Dr Ihekweazu made the assertion on Tuesday while commissioning the Molecular Laboratory at the Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki the Ebonyi State capital.
He dismissed insinuations expressed in some European countries alluding that the AstraZenicca vaccines were unsafe for human being.
Dr Ihekweazu said that no medical intervention in the world has saved more lives than vaccines insisting that people must come out and be vaccinated .
“We are very confident right now in the vaccine we have introduced, I have taken the vaccine myself, I am standing in front of you , I have taken it two weeks ago,every member of the frontline staff in NCDC have taken the vaccine”
“We are confident the vaccine will be a game changer as we tackle the outbreak of the confidence-19 pandemic in the country”
He NCDC boss restated that the Molecular Laboratory being commissioned was well equipped to manage infectious diseases threat notably Covid-19 and Lassa Fever respectively.
“This commissioning is part of Federal Government programmes to support the citizenry to tackle the menace of covid-19 pandemic, our role is not only to respond to the outbreak but to make sure we are stronger together to respond to future outbreak”
Dr Ihekweazu said that the intervention was the federal Government programme carried across several parts of the country.
“The facility is well equipped to manage infectious diseases threat namely Covid-19 and Lasser Fever, we really planned this not only for diagnostic purposes , the Laboratory will provide Resource for Ebonyi State in terms of Research and capacity building.
Earlier in a speech, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Dr Emeka Onwe Ogah, said that the Molecular Laboratory was a critical plank in Medicine and clinical practice where molecular diagnosis is carried out to treat diseases .
Dr Onwe said that Alex -Ekwueme Teaching hospital was one of the first five hospitals with laboratories for Covid-19 testing in Nigeria.
“With the completion of this molecular Laboratory the hospital with different units, it meets World Health Organization (WHO) Standard”
‘It is worthy to note that during the first stage of the pandemic in 2020, the hospital ran over 1,000 samples for covid-19 diagnosis and also successfully managed confirmed positive cases, even though some lives were lost”
In his contribution the Ebonyi State Commissioner for HealthDr Daniel Umezurike, described the commissioning of the Molecular laboratory as a major milestone in the advancement of medical care in the State.
Dr Umezurike noted that the Ebonyi State Government was equally constructing an ultra-modern Teaching hospital at Uburu Ohaozara Local Government Area of the State that was now 90 percent completion.
In attendance during the commissioning ceremony included officials from the National Center For Disease Control Abuja, the Provost of the College of Medicine Alex-Ekwueme University Professor Paul Olisaemeka Ezeonu, the Chairman Board of Directors of AE-FUTHA Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Ramalan and Senior Officials of Federal Ministry of Health among others.
