The PCR machine at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) Laboratory has been out of service since 11th January 2022, causing lengthy delays in COVID-19 test results. Officials, however, note that the machine at SFGH is expected to be back in service in early February. The Laboratory at SFGH is one of only six (6) in the country that is used by the public sector to process COVID-19 PCR tests. The other five (5) include: the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the UWI Molecular Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the Medical Laboratory at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, the Sangre Grande Hospital Laboratory and the Scarborough General Hospital Laboratory. In a statement to Guardian Media on Sunday (30th January 2022), the South Western Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) confirmed the m2000 Abbott PCR bulk testing machine was not in service and the replacement part is expected to arrive soon. The statement explained, “While it remains down, the required replacement part is expected to arrive on (or around) the 1st February 2022, from abroad to effect the repairs and return the machine to full functionality.” According to the SWRHA, patients affected by this were primarily those on home quarantine and those in the community awaiting results. These cases, it said, were known to the primary care health surveillance teams. To mitigate the effects of the machine being out of order, the Authority said contingencies were activated, such as sending samples to other laboratories for testing. “Given redundant testing capacity and activation of pre-planned contingencies, prompt support from the labs of the Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago, the North Central Regional Health Authority and the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory have successfully arrested and have started to reduce the samples that were initially delayed in processing.” The Authority further said, “Additionally, rapid testing on smaller cartridge-based PCR machines at both SWRHA and the NCRHA Laboratories also ensured urgent samples required have continued to be processed for ill patients requiring hospitalization in the parallel healthcare system.” Approval was received by the Authority on Friday (28th January 2022) to engage select Ministry of Health approved private labs to further assist in testing the remaining samples. With these measures in place, the SWRHA said normal turnaround times should occur over the next seven (7) to ten (10) days. The Authority assures that there “is no patient compromise to treatment requiring an urgent diagnosis.” This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. [Source: CNC3]
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