To complement the government’s efforts of increasing the testing capability of the country, a lab at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) will from today, Monday, April 27, 2020 start testing samples of persons suspected to have COVID-19.
The acting Director of Public Health at the Volta Region in a memo issued to district directors of health services in the Volta and Oti regions said:
“This new addition will further strengthen the enhanced surveillance and contact tracing which is in full operation.”
“All samples can be sent to the UHAS lab located at the main Sokode campus. All existing guidelines for sample packaging and transportation should strictly be applied,” the statement added.
With this development, samples taken from people suspected to have COVID-19 would not have to be sent to Accra to be tested at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
Testing the samples in Ho is expected to reduce the waiting time for the confirmation of cases.
Speaking last week, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa disclosed that the laboratory was ready and was only awaiting approval from the National Public Health and Reference Lab and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR).
Dr. Letsa said: “We have a very sophisticated laboratory at the University of Health and Allied Sciences. The staff have gone to Noguchi for training and we are set to start testing. Now you know that apart from cases in Noguchi, we have got two more centres on board but the next phase is to move the testing to the other regions so that they are not localized in Accra and Kumasi.”
