Zimbabwe: Medical team hails local laboratory tests

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:48 pm

The visiting Chinese anti-Covid-19 medical delegation has given the thumbs up to Zimbabwe’s National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare.

Chinese laboratory scientist Dr Zhang Di said the facility was at par with the laboratory he works for back in China.

“I am very impressed with the equipment and the arrangement of this laboratory, I think it is excellent and compared to our national laboratory, it is almost the same, there is no difference,” said Dr Zhang.

“Even the scientists are very professional and they are knowledgeable about conducting the confirmatory tests. I have no doubt therefore that this laboratory has the capacity to conduct Covid-19 suspected cases,” said Dr Zhang.

Dr Zhang who also visited Beatrice Road Infectious Disease Hospital and Chinhoyi Provincial laboratory said since most of the laboratories where still undergoing refurbishments, he made specific recommendations to concerned facilities.

Commenting on the use of rapid diagnostic testing (RDT), Dr Zhang said since its ability to pick the virus was low, it was important to use it only for screening purposes.

Dr Zhang said even China was using RDTs for screening purposes and all positive cases would be referred for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmatory test using more effective tests.

(TheHerald)