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Medical research institute begins free coronavirus testing from Monday

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has said it will begin free screening for coronavirus (COVID-19) on Monday 30 March, 2020.

NIMR is a medical research institute established by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the research institute establishment act of 1977, to promote National health and developments.

Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, who is also the Director General of NIMR , Yaba Lagos, disclosed the commencement of free screning on his twitter handle (@LawalSalako) on Friday evening.

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“Kindly visit our Website for appointment if you fall into categories of those who need the test, especially if you have come in contact with suspected case,” he said.

Meanwhile, when Daily Trust visited the website, there was no clear indicator of where to book the appointments on the website.

However, under “contact” category, there is a form where one can send a message to the organisation.

Before this new development, one can only get tested by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) through the state governments’ agencies in charge of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some Nigerians have complained they were not getting attention when they called the NCDC hotline to make inquiry about how to get tested.

As at Friday night, 81 cases of the coronavirus disease have been confirmed in Nigeria but public analysts believe the case may be well over 100 as many Nigerians lack access to facilities to ascertain their status.

Those who responded to Professor Salako’s tweet commended the initiative but called for it to cascade to the states and local governments.

Here are some of the replies:

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