Covid-19: Private labs cleared to do testing
A laboratory technician carries out tests at a laboratory in Wandegeya in 2018. Government has accredited three private laboratories to carry out Covid-19 testing. PHOTO/ RACHEL MABALA.
What you need to know:
Measures. If we start testing and creating laboratories all over the country without control, we run a very big risk of not controlling our activities. The cases will blow out of proportion,” Dr Ruth Jane Aceng, the Health minister.
The three laboratories are part of nine others that have been accredited to test for Covid-19.
Government has accredited three private laboratories to carry out Covid-19 testing for the population that needs private services.
The accredited laboratories include MBN Clinical Laboratories, Lancet Laboratories and Medipal International Hospital.
Initially, only public laboratories were allowed to carryout Covid-19 testing such as Uganda Virus Research Institute, National Public Health Laboratory, among others.
“Many people have been asking that they want to routinely test themselves,” Dr Ruth Jane Aceng, the Health minister, said.
Currently, more than 12 laboratories have been assessed and accredited for operationalisation which include three public, three private and six research laboratories.
The accredited private laboratories will charge a fee for their services, however, government has warned that there might be a limited number of tests carried out due to limited access to testing kits globally.
Dr Aceng also said private hospitals are not allowed to offer Covid-19 treatment as all those facilities interested should write to the Ministry of Health first.
“For laboratories there is an accreditation committee that is chaired by Prof Pontiano Kaleebu. So for as long as they are not accredited and we have not standardised their laboratories, we cannot encourage people to go there,” Dr Aceng said yesterday.
Dr Aceng added that: “If we start testing and creating laboratories all over the country without control, we ran a very big risk of not controlling our activities. The cases will blow out of proportion,” she said.
By press time, Uganda had registered 1,147 coronavirus cases with 1,028 Ugandan recoveries and two deaths.
While lifting the lockdown, President Museveni said government would distribute free facemasks to the population.
More than eight million face masks have so far been distributed to 27 districts such as Arua, Adjumani, Isingiro, Rakai, Moyo, among others.
Today, government has commenced distribution of facemasks in the Kampala metropolitan area, Mukono and Wakiso.
