Government allows private laboratories to carry out Coronavirus tests

The Ministry of Health has said it has allowed private laboratories to carry out Coronavirus tests provided they are approved by a committee of scientists.

Speaking while issuing an update on the pandemic in the country on Thursday, the Health Minister. Dr.Jane Ruth Aceng confirmed the development adding that three private laboratories have so far been cleared for the same.

“The accredited private laboratories include MBN on Plot 28, Nakasero road( opposite Multiplex headquarters), Lancet on Plot 99/101 Madhavani building on Buganda road(opposite YMCA) and Medipal International H on Plot 1-A, Lower Kololo Terrace,” Aceng said.

“Other Laboratories have been assessed and accredited and 12 are ready for operationalization. Of these, three are public, three private and six  research laboratories.”

The minister however said the private laboratories, unlike the government facilities, will charge a fee for the service.

“However, the general public is informed that access to test kits is still a challenge globally and therefore the capacities of the private laboratories may be limited in terms of numbers of tests,” she said.

Government facilities

Minister Aceng said that the country has adequate capacity to test for Coronavirus, noting that the process that started with only the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe has since been scaled up to include the National Public Health Laboratory(NPHL) at Butabika, Tororo general hospital,Mutukula point of entry , Adjumani hospital and the Makerere University laboratory.

As of today, Uganda’s cumulative number of confirmed cases is now at 1,147 and 1,028 of these have fully recovered and have been discharged from various hospitals around the country.

Uganda has only registered two Coronavirus deaths since the first case was reported in March ,2020.

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