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Dr Mordi Ononye, Delta State Commissioner for Health (m) during the presentation of certificates to the newly trained Laboratory Scientists to man the Covid 19 testing centre in Warri Central Hospital held at the Asaba Specialist Hospital.

By Donald Ojebo

As part of measures to scale up the State’s COVID- 19 testing capacity, six laboratory scientists have been trained and issued certificates with the view to provide needed personnel to man the second molecular testing laboratory in Warri.

The Delta State Commissioner for Health Dr Mordi Ononye made this known today during the presentation of certificates of participation to the Laboratory Scientists drawn from Government hospitals located around the Warri axis.

The training was done by the Team from Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State led by Mrs Yemisi Ighodalo and in collaboration with the Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.

According to the Commissioner, the training became necessary as a result of the establishment of another COVID-19 testing laboratory in Warri and the need to provide the needed personnel to run the new laboratory.

He said that arising from the collaboration the State Government had with NNPC/Chevron Joint Ventures, a second COVID-19 testing laboratory was established at the Central Hospital, Warri to address the absence of adequate testing capacity in the State.

The Commissioner enjoined the newly trained Laboratory Scientists to put into use the knowledge from all they have been taught to enable the State carry out more COVID-19 tests with the view to containing the spread of the disease in the State.

Speaking earlier, Mr Nathaniel Enamuotor, Laboratory Head, Emergency Operation Committee for COVID-19 said the six participants trained are part of the first phase of the training which lasted for two weeks
and added that there would be another two weeks of hands-on-training at the Central Hospital Warri.

He said that an official from the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State Team already in the State at Asaba Specialist Hospital would be sent to supervise the Warri Centre until they are able to operate on their own.