By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A network of Nigerians in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with special interest in the survival and wellbeing of the citizens during COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 era have raised their voices in protest against the high cost of COVID-19 tests in private laboratories in Lagos State.
Coming under the auspices of the Coalition Against High Cost of COVID-19 Test in Lagos (COHCTL), the group petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over the matter which they said had led to low testing in the state as people were discouraged by the exorbitant cost.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 26, 2021, which was signed by its Co-Convener, Dotun Atilade, in Ibadan, the group called for a timely and swift intervention by the Lagos State House of Assembly to reduce the cost of COVID-19 test in the state.
COHCTL explained that ”a collaborative independent survey was conducted to appraise the response of government, citizens and the health sector after a year.
”The survey revealed that the high cost of COVID-19 test in private laboratories, inadequate and inaccessible free public testing centres with their inherent inefficiency, is a major militating factor.
“It is a major militating factor against scientific and well informed response to the global pandemic in the state. Government’s response to COVID-19 has been largely cosmetic.”
It also stated that a scientific and data driven response was lacking, leading to government’s inability to plan or give informed response to the real impact of the deadly virus on citizens since it lacked accurate and basic data.
Going further, the group queried, “With less than two per cent of the population tested in one year, which reveals at least one in five samples tests positive, where is the comprehensive plan to combat the disease?”