Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony is warning members of the public to be wary of private institutions claiming to offer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 as only one lab has been granted permission to conduct those tests.
The minister disclosed that there are now some institutions that are purportedly offering PCR testing while not being appropriately licensed. “There are one and two institutions that are purportedly offering PCR testing to persons. Some of these places are not properly licensed and if they are not licensed it would mean that they do not meet the requirement to offer the test,” he said.
He cautioned that persons should be wary as most of those labs may not have the capacity to offer the test. Anthony noted that there is only one private laboratory that has been approved and has received permission to conduct PCR tests, which is the Eureka Medical Laboratory.
“The only other private lab outside of the National Public Health Reference Laboratory that has received permission from the ministry to be able to do PCR testing based on the inspections that we have conducted and have been satisfied that they have that capability is Eureka Medical Laboratories,” the minister informed, while adding that the ministry has not granted permission for any other private lab in Guyana to conduct PCR tests.
