Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
MORE laboratories have been cleared to test for Covid-19 in Bulawayo, a far-reaching development that will complement efforts to help keep the virus at bay in the city.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March, Covid-19 testing was being conducted in Harare before the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital started testing in April.
Early last month, three private laboratories: Premier Service Medical Investments, Lancet Laboratories and Cimas Medical Laboratories were approved by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to start Covid-19 testing in Bulawayo.
A health official yesterday said in addition to Mpilo, Covid-19 testing will now be done at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital.
Population Services Clinic in the city centre and Lookout Masuku Barracks Clinic also have GeneXpert machines capable of testing Covid-19 that will also start being utilised.
Efforts to test for Covid-19 in Zimbabwe and other African countries facing funding constraints in the fight against Covid-19 have been boosted through repurposing the GeneXpert devise that was originally designed to test for tuberculosis (TB).
GeneXpert machines allow hospitals and clinics to perform diagnostic tests in-house, processing nose swab samples in 45 minutes and performing up to 96 tests in 24 hours, rather than sending them to outside laboratories.
Speaking after receiving a donation yesterday, Bulawayo’s health services deputy director Dr Khulasizwe Nyathi said the city’s testing capacity was being boosted.
“Initially, we used to depend on Mpilo for the National TB Reference Lab where the Nust Applied Genetic Centre was also collaborating. We now have a GeneXpert Machine at Thorngrove hospital being used to test some of the specimen that we are collecting,” said Dr Nyathi.
He said although the network of testing is increasing, there is need to mobilise consumables.
Dr Nyathi said of the 22 Covid-19 cases reported in Bulawayo, 10 of the people have fully recovered.
“At the moment people who tested positive are all stable and seven of them are at Elangeni.
“We had to admit one of the patients for oxygen for some hours but I am glad to say he has now recovered and back at Elangeni where all the seven patients are stable,” he said.
A women’s group based in England called Rise and Shine donated blankets, sheets and pillow cases to Thorngrove Hospital.
Their representative Mr Zenzele Ndebele said the organisation had mobilised money which was used to buy 30 blankets, 60 sheets and 30 pillowcases. — @thamamoe
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