Mozambique: If it works in 3 shifts, the INS laboratory could conduct up to 600 Covid-19 tests per day – report

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Mozambique: If it works in 3 shifts, the INS laboratory could conduct up to 600 Covid-19 tests per day – report

1:27 CAT | 30 Mar 2020

Photo: O País

O País reports that the only laboratory in Mozambique with the capacity to diagnose the new coronavirus is that of the National Institute of Health (INS0) in Marracuene, about 35 kilometres from Maputo in southern Mozambique.

The INS laboratory receives all samples collected in the country to confirm whether they are positive or negative, and has been receiving between 40 to 60 samples daily, not yet reaching its maximum working capacity.

If technicians worked in three shifts, with existing testing equipment, it would be possible to process 600 tests a day.

“Our technical staff consists of about 20 laboratory technicians, who work seven days a week testing samples,” National Director for the Public Health Laboratories at INS, Sofia Viegas, told visiting journalists yesterday.

Mozambique has received around 22,000 testing kits for the new coronavirus, of which more than 200 have already been used.

All samples collected are sent to Marracuene for assessment.

“The provinces received kits for collecting samples. All provinces collect samples and send them to the National Institute of Health to be tested,” Viegas said. “Samples are transported by refrigerated transport, and we coordinate with the companies so samples get here within 24 hours. They must arrive at the Institute in proper condition.”

In terms of procedure, the first step is to receive the samples, each stored in a collection container. Then, in the cell culture room, health technicians, properly protected, extract from the sample the material to be tested. Meanwhile, in the clean room, there are technicians who prepare the chemical reagents that, in the expansion room, are mixed with the genetic material. Finally, on a computer, the reading is made as to whether or not the patient has coronavirus.

“Some private laboratories send samples outside the country, but these laboratories report to us,” Viegas remarked, in reference to the Joaquim Chaves Laboratory in Portugal.

With new types of tests being developed daily, the Mozambican Ministry of Health said it was working on a strategy to extend coronavirus diagnosis to other provinces in the country.

By António Tiua

Source: O País