Rivers index case first result negative -health commissioner

Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Professor Princewill Chike has said that the first test conducted on the Rivers state index case has come out negative.

Professor Chike who spoke on a radio program monitored by our reporter in Port Harcourt on Sunday said that the second test for the index has been sent, saying that the moment the test case comes out negative, the case will be on the process of being discharged.

He said that the discharge protocols for the index case have commenced with the first result conducted, which has proved negative, saying that when the second result comes out everything about the case may have been concluded.

He said "The index case, we have already commenced her discharge protocols. We sent her samples and the first one has come out negative. We praise God for that and you know that the ministry of health also has a team of experts that we relate with. Specialists from different fields are looking at what we have done and they are also making additions and subtractions. She is in high spirit and she is waiting. The moment the next result comes in, and it's negative God willing," he stated.

He said that the state treatment centre has a bed capacity for 30 patients, saying that it is at the facility that the index case is being managed.

He expressed displeasure that a country like Nigeria has only five molecular laboratories for test in Lagos, Abuja, and Irrua, while other parts of the country have none.