Senate calls for cost reduction of COVID-19 test

The senate has called on the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to ensure a drastic reduction in the cost of testing for the virus by private- owned laboratories.

Chairman of the senate joint committee on health and aviation senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) made the appeal during an interview session with members of PTF on COVID-19, comprising the minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and the national coordinator on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, among others.

Members of the committee lamented the high cost of testing for the virus by private laboratories put at N75,000.00.

Oloriegbe urged Ehanire and Aliyu to enlarge the scope of testing for the virus by including public laboratories to bring down the cost.

He said panel expects response action plans from the minister and the PTF within the next two weeks.

The committee members admonished relevant stakeholders in the country not to adopt measures that might be disastrous to the nation’s economy by replicating a western-style of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.