The Ministry of Health (MoH) will be sending 500 coronavirus (COVID-19) samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing to clear the backlog of COVID-19 test samples.
According to a report by the Department of Public Information (DPI), a flight is expected to arrive in the country tomorrow to deliver COVID-19 supplies. This flight will transport the COVID-19 samples to CARPHA in Trinidad and Tobago.
The report stated that CARPHA will be assisting Guyana with testing to ensure that tests results are delivered in a timely manner.
In recent days, as a result of the backlog of COVID-19 test samples, persons would usually have to wait more than 48 hours for results and sometimes even weeks. The National Public Health Reference Laboratory has attempted to boost its capacity over the last few weeks to solve the issue. However, to date, many persons are still awaiting their results.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said that the Ministry had sought ways to clear the backlog and after engagements with CARPHA, this solution materialised. According to DPI, he said that several measures were explored and executed to the clear the backlog of COVID-19 samples, including the training of more medical technologists to run samples and 24-hour shifts being implemented to have more samples processed. These, along with the procurement of an automated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine are expected to reduce the testing time from an average of nine hours to two hours.
“We will be sending out those 500 samples for them to check so this will help us with the backlog but again our challenge has been that a lot more people are coming forward to be tested and as more people are coming forward, as fast as we clear the samples that we have in the lab, we are bringing in new samples so unless we add more capacity in terms of more machines it is going to be a challenge,” DPI quoted the Minister as saying.
Anthony added that the CARPHA’s assistance will allow for a significant clearance in test samples and once the samples leave on Monday the results should return after 48 hours.
