Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 10, 2009 News
As continued interventions are made to improve laboratory capabilities in the health sector, plans have already been streamlined for personnel of the National Public Health Reference Laboratory to be trained to conduct HINI tests.
Since the invasion of the virus which is commonly referred to as the Swine Flu, the local Ministry of Health has been reliant on the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) based in Trinidad. However, with hands on training set to commence in January, compliments of CDC Atlanta, the laboratory will be poised to become the single local facility with the necessary equipment and personnel to tests for the swine flu virus and other exotic virus strains.
Director of the Laboratory, Dr Colin Roach, made this disclosure yesterday even as he related that even in the face of some challenges the facility has been meeting the mandate for which it was intended.
The prestigious laboratory, which has been deemed a “Centre of Excellence”, has within its confines seven departments including Haematology, Chemistry, Tuberculosis, Quality Assurance, Surveillance and Bacteriology.
The Bacteriology Department, according to Dr Roach, comes under the Georgetown Public Hospital and is staffed by seven persons who are paid by the Corporation. Another 22 staffers can be found within the other departments and are remunerated by the Ministry of Health, Dr Roach said.
Currently, the capabilities of the Reference Centre stands out as it is able to process thousands of samples on a monthly basis with an average of 600 samples from the TB suites, 700 from the Cd4 Suites, and about 1,000 from Serology Suites.
Dr Roach, in an earlier interview, had revealed that the facility is not only engaged in doing routine tests but rather specialised tasks. And these he said, include Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Polymerase Chain Reaction (DNA-PCR) and Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) PCR that are completely new to Guyana.
He had explained that the DNA-PCR is the test used to diagnosis babies who are born from HIV positive mothers. And this is a breakthrough for the public health system since according to Dr Roach in the past such diagnosis could have only been confirmed until 18 months had elapsed.
And with the RNA-PCR the viral load measurement, that is the measure of the severity of an infection, lab personnel are able to monitor HIV patients that are on Anti-Retroviral (ARV).
Staffers of the laboratory read all results readings that emanate from the sophisticated machines in totality.
He had revealed then too that the testing capacity of the Laboratory is poised for significant expansion. “We will be able to do many other things and some of those would be the HINI virus (Swine Flu) testing. We just have to get a few other little things. This is because there is not one reagent doing everything each tests are unique so we have to build around the capacity we now have.”
Dr Roach revealed yesterday that reagents for the process have been coming into the country thus measures were put in place to have staffers trained to conduct the HINI test. He revealed that on January 3, next, a facilitator from CDC, Atlanta, is expected to arrive in Guyana to commence a one-week training programme.
“About four persons have been identified for training. The resource person from CDC will be here for two weeks so the second week will be to ensure that whatever is thought is clear…,” Dr Roach told Kaieteur News yesterday.
He explained that training for staffers are essential as testing for the HINI virus is a semi-automated process. This he said simply means that the first part of the process is done manually and the second part is automated. At the completion of the training course, Dr Roach said that the laboratory’s capacity would be completely boosted.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that the laboratory may soon lose substantial funding from Global Fund.
Claiming to have very little knowledge about this development, Dr Roach related that should the funding come to an end he is confident that the Ministry of Health will step in if necessary.
“We were assured that our application for funding will be renewed…We have already sent in our application but if it is not renewed it would only be a minor matter,” Dr Roach asserted.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
Apr 24, 2024
Round 2 GFF Women’s League Division One Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana Police Force FC on Saturday last demolished Pakuri Jaguars FC with a 17 – 0 goal blitz at the Guyana Football...Kaieteur News – Just recently, the PPC determined that it does not have the authority to vitiate a contract which was... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]