Private facilities can apply for certification to do antigen testing

− Govt. increasing testing capacity

– Min. Anthony 

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony says private facilities can apply to the Ministry for certification to conduct the antigen test for COVID-19.

An assessment would be done to determine applicants’ capacity Minister Anthony said during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update.

“That process of accessing and allowing additional sights to be able to do antigen testing is continuing, and if there’s any private sector entity that would like to do the antigen testing, what you need to do is to apply to the Ministry of Health and we would then send a team to do the assessment to see if we should register you as a provider. So, in that way, we are increasing the capacity to be able to do testing using this antigen method.”

To date, the Ministry has certified the Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital, Woodlands Hospital, the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, the Davis Memorial and Anamayah Memorial hospitals to conduct antigen tests. Minister Anthony said a few more facilities are currently under consideration.

Minister Anthony also said increasing the Government’s testing capacity countrywide has been a major focus of the Ministry, starting with the National Public Health Reference Laboratory.

“We have done that in several ways, one, at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, we have been increasing our capacity by buying more equipment and by training more people to handle the equipment and automating the process. So, by doing that, something that would have probably taken eight hours to do, which is what happened when we came in, we have automated and reduced processing time to maybe an hour or two.”

Minister Anthony said several systems at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory have been automated.  Additionally, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in also available outside of Georgetown.

“We have equipment at Lethem Hospital where if you have the signs and symptoms or you want to be tested, we can test you there and within 60 minutes or so, you can get back the result to determine whether you are positive or not.”

Similar facilities have been set up at Mabaruma, Region One and in Regions Six and Ten.  Dr. Anthony said more equipment to increase COVID-19 testing capacity have already been ordered and would be installed at other regional hospitals.