Public Laboratories Redirect Suspected COVID-19 Patients To Private Labs

Despite the announcement by the Lagos State government that residents with coronavirus-like symptoms can go to designated government-run facilities to get tested for free, these laboratories are instead redirecting patients to private laboratories where they are charged as much as N50,000 for the test. This reporter deliberately exposed himself to cold for four days and came down with symptoms similar to those of coronavirus – cough, headache, runny nose and fever – and presented himself for testing at some public laboratories in the city but officials at the laboratories declined to test him.

Instead, they redirected him to non-public laboratories to get tested.

Yaba
After travelling several authorities-run laboratories, the reporter determined how residents who would possibly have caught the virus are routinely rejected or redirected to personal laboratories.

“You should convince them nicely enough on the way to have your check right here. Although it's miles unfastened, if your motives aren’t sturdy enough, they could redirect you to private laboratories in which you have to pay nothing less than N50,000,” a woman at the Yaba Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), one of the public health facilities special to provide the check without spending a dime, informed this reporter as he waited to speak with a nurse.

The woman was also a patient at the centre and were examined for the virus earlier that day.

“My husband has been isolated here and undergoing treatment right here, so it turned into clean for me and my children to get tested. They wouldn’t agree to test all people here however redirect you to the personal laboratory in which you need to pay cash. I suggest you convince them nicely,” she added.

The reporter, heeding her advice, requested the registration method and turned into proven a web deal with written at the door of the lab. As the reporter attempted to sign up, the equal lady asked: “Are you right here to recognise your popularity or do you observed you have the virus?”.

“He has the symptoms due to the fact he may have had touch with a person who's already in isolation,” the reporter’s colleague who observed him to the health facility answered.

While suffering to finish the registration, the woman recommended this reporter to technique officials of the facility for assistance.

“Go straight all the way down to the workplace on your left, knock at the door and input. You will see a few nurses there, speak to them on the motive of your coming, they may placed you via the registration processes,” she stated.

After 15 minutes of waiting to be attended to, a lab legitimate, carrying a deep-green apparel, walked in and asked the reporter impatiently: “What are you right here for?”

“I am right here to get examined. I have been having symptoms like cough, dried throats and a runny nose for days and I think I might have the virus” the reporter replied.

“I haven’t heard you cough due to the fact you obtain here,” the lab respectable shockingly replied. “He had suffered these signs and symptoms for days and can have had touch with someone already within the isolation centre,” his colleague quickly replied.

“Go and get a referral letter from your health practitioner or any health center or cross take a look at your self in a non-public laboratory,” the lab respectable stated and walked away.

LUTH
This reporter also attempted to get examined on the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) but he changed into additionally refused to check and redirected to a privately run laboratory.

The reporter explained his symptoms to the physician who attended to him.

“Have you gathered your sample? If now not, stroll right down to your left, you’ll see the laboratory in which they try this,” the medical doctor rapidly advised.

This path led the reporter to SYNLAB, a non-public laboratory, placed in the clinic beside the Accident and Emergency Unit. Officials of SYNLAB told this reporter to register on line explaining that the check could be carried out after forty two hours for a N50,000 charge.

Other centres
Within the week, the reporter visited 4 other public laboratories listed at the Nigeria Center for Disease Control internet site. While three redirected him to a private lab, one provided to check him after 24 hours of his registration.

At the International Organisation for Migration, Clinic, run via the United Nations, the safety operatives, said the health facility had been shut down for renovations. “There are personal labs round in case you check on-line. You can go there due to the fact this vicinity is no longer in operation,” he said.

At the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Central Public Health Laboratory, the reporter become immediately stopped by means of the security operatives who redirected him to seek advice from private laboratories or visit the IDH centre– in which the reporter’s request for a test turned into in advance grew to become down.

“This place isn't always a trying out centre. You can visit the Yaba IDH or check online to peer any available personal laboratories round,” the security operatives stated.

He got the same reaction on the Nigeria Navy Reference Hospital.

Access into NIMR checking out centre
After consulting all indexed public laboratories, the reporter visited the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and was supplied to be examined free of charge.

Waiting stand for COVID-19 take a look at in NIMR.
Candidates could be required to check in on line thru portal, www.Nimr.Covid.Com.Ng, after which a scheduled date could be sent to the e-mail to have the take a look at.

The Free Mobile Laboratory centre turned into made feasible by means of NIMR, LifeBank, Sterling Bank, UTL, Dan Holdings, The Rising Tide Africa and Daystar Christian Center.

The reporter, after registering, visited that lab 24 hours later to have his take a look at. COVID-19 check in NIMR is executed on the open floor of the institute beneath two canopies– the primary for registration and affirmation, whilst the second one for checking out.

Online form crammed at NIMR by way of the reporter
“Where is your invitation form,” the safety official stopped the reporter– as this became a chief get entry to into the laboratory.

The protection legitimate, after affirmation, directed the reporter to satisfy with a staffer of the lab who took down his info and asked that this reporter crammed a seven-web page on-line form.

Form acquired via the reporter thru his mail to confirm get admission to into the NIMR laboratory
“Take this form, and be cautious maintaining it, go to the other cover by way of your left, post it there and feature your test,” the staffer advised the reporter.

At the lab, an authentic tested the shape submitted and instructed the reporter to take a 2nd take a look at the information submitted to make certain they were correct.

The lab official wore her scientific gloves, introduced out two long swabs from a transparent plastic bag and collected samples from this reporter’s throat and nostril.

The legit located the samples extracted from the reporter into a separate bag and labelled it with a unique NVC code contained inside the form.

“You can cross, your test outcomes might be despatched to your mail within 3 days- sixty two hours”, she instructed the reporter.

However, after two days of having the take a look at, the reporter got his result, sent to him via his mail, testing bad for the virus.

Poor testing erodes fight towards virus
The investigation found out that out of six public laboratories listed at the NCDC portal, handiest NIMR become handy to the reporter at no cost remedy regardless of suffering ‘COVID-like symptoms’.

This revel in offers an perception into how public laboratories contribute to bad checking out facts of residents in Lagos thereby undermining the attempt of the authorities.

The reluctance of public laboratories to provide unfastened trying out might be posing a threat to the kingdom’s healthcare systems which in turn contributes to the unfold of the virus.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Lagos State has recorded the most cases in Nigeria.
The kingdom had consistently led the COVID-19 chart pulling over 55,000 reported cases within a 12 months for the reason that index case of the virus was pronounced in Nigeria.

During this era, the country received investment and support from the federal authorities, private organisations, non-governmental bodies, and outstanding individuals – who contributed resources and donated materials to help lower the virus.

The Central Bank of Nigeria stated donations from people and company our bodies in Nigeria to the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Relief Fund exceeded N21 billion.

When asked if the financial expenses might be a primary element, the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Babatunde Salako, said the country government ”might be spending a number of money to sustain the free trying out operation”.

“The check cost N54k and for each free take a look at, the government may be seen to be spending that amount on individuals doing the take a look at for free.

“I believe it may be a constraint particularly running free assessments for travellers who can afford the take a look at for his or her enterprise or excursion trips. Government must now not be jogging their business for them.

“I believe the government ought to have allowed public laboratories to price at price charge at the least, making the check greater to be had to lots greater humans,” he stated.

Reaction
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Adetunji Adenekan, while reached for remarks, said, “I may not be capable of respond to the questions as I don’t have statistics on it”.

In separate reactions, the spokesperson to the NCDC, Emeka Oguanuo, and spokesperson to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Willie Bassey, said the Lagos State authorities was inside the first-rate role to reply.