Tanzania's health minister suspends National Laboratory director
What you need to know:
The suspension comes a day after the president directed the laboratory to be investigated due to irregular Covid-19 results
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s health minister Ummy Mwalimu has suspended the national community health laboratory director Dr Nyambura Moremi and the quality assurance manager Jacob Lusekelo with immediate effect.
This follows President Magufuli’s speech yesterday May 3, where he casted doubts over the Covid-19 results that has so far seen 480 people test positive in Tanzania.
“The findings so far show that something is wrong somewhere,” said the President
As part of the measures the minister has also named a 10-man special committee head by Prof Eligius Lyamuya to investigate the collection of Covid-19 samples at the laboratory.
The committee which is made up of Six university dons and three laboratory experts is supposed to present its findings with 10 days.
The committee’s members are Prof Said Aboud, Prof Gabriel Shirima, Prof Steven Mshana, Prof Rudovick Kazwala, Dr Thomas Marandu, Dr Mabula Kasubi, Dr Danstan Hipolite, Ms Viola Msangi and Mr Jaffer Sufi.
In her statement the minister said that despite the investigations testing of Covid-19 samples will continue at the laboratory.