Why we don’t give COVID19 test results to individuals — NCDC

By TIMILEYIN OMILANA

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has said its role is not to provide coronavirus test results to individuals but to “coordinates communication” of test results between its laboratories and states.

“It is important to emphasise that the NCDC does not provide results to individuals,” NCDC said in a tweet on Friday.

“Our role as the national public health institute is to coordinate the communication of results between testing laboratories and states, who then communicate with individuals,” it added.

Several persons who had tested positive for COVID-19 had complained of not getting to see their tests results in papers.

Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, after his discharge on Friday also shared same sentiment.

He complained that he was discharged without seeing results of tests conducted by the agency to assert he is positive for the virus.

“Whilst I can attest to my improvement in physical health and wellbeing, I regret to say that since my initial test to date, I have never seen any documentary evidence of any test result,” Dokpesi said.

“I take it in trust and good faith that the NCDC pronounced me COVID-19 positive and that they have now also pronounced me COVID-negative.”

He, however, stated that he would appreciate it if the documentary records of the various tests on him and members of his family are made available to them for their medical records.

He also stated that such “lapses” on the NCDC side could make patients to lose confidence in public healthcare providers. (The Guardian)