Discover Thomson Reuters Directory of sites Login Contact Support

Business Markets World Politics TV More

BIG STORY 10 MAY 4, 2020 / 1:51 PM / A DAY AGO

Tanzania suspends laboratory head after

president questions coronavirus tests
3 MIN READ

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania has suspended the head of its national health
laboratory in charge of testing for the coronavirus and ordered an investigation, a day
after President John Magufuli questioned the tests’ accuracy.

Magufuli said on Sunday the imported test kits were faulty as they had returned
positive results on a goat and a pawpaw — among several non-human samples
submitted for testing, with technicians left deliberately unaware of their origins.

He did not say where the kits had been imported from or why the authorities had been
suspicious of the results.

Catherine Sungura, acting head of communications at the ministry of health, said in a

statement on Monday the director of the laboratory and its quality assurance manager
had been immediately suspended “to pave way for the investigation”.

Sungura said a 10-person committee had been formed to investigate the laboratory’s
operations, including its process of collecting and testing samples.

On Sunday, Magufuli also fired the head of the government Medical Stores Department,
which is in charge of distributing medical supplies and equipment to government
hospitals, but gave no reason.

As of Monday, Tanzania had recorded 480 cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths, according
to a Reuters tally based on government and World Health Organization data. TRENDING

Exclusive: Internal Chinese

Unlike most other African countries, Tanzania sometimes goes for days without report warns Beijing faces
Tiananmen-like global backlash
offering updates, with the last bulletin on cases on Wednesday. over virus

COVID-19 infections and fatalities reported across Africa have been relatively low Trump administration pushing to
rip global supply chains from
compared with the United States, parts of Asia and Europe. But Africa also has China: officials
extremely low levels of testing, with rates of only around 500 per million people.
White House to wind down
coronavirus task force as focus
shifts to aftermath: Trump
In neighbouring Kenya, a senate body sought an explanation from the Health Ministry
over the circumstances leading to the demotion of the head of the rapid response and Texas back in business? Barely,
y'all, as malls, restaurants empty
team director in charge of the centre for virus research at the state-run Kenya Medical
Research Institute.
France's early COVID-19 case
may hold clues to pandemic's
“In relation to the above, the committee observes that the timing of the dismissal is start

wrong as it is likely to have a significant impact on the morale and motivation of the
various staff that were working under him,” the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the
COVID-19 situation in Kenya said in a report on April 28.

Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alison Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

PAID PROMOTIONAL LINKS Promoted by  Dianomi

Apps Newsletters Advertise with Us Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use

Privacy

All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2020 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.