COVID-19 mobile testing vans grounded due to lack of vital equipment

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Two trucks imported from Germany to act as mobile Covid19 testing laboratories can’t be deployed due to lack of vital equipment, URN has learnt. The Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng announced the arrival of the trucks during a televised COVID-19 national update.

The trucks arrived in Uganda on March 19th, 2020 and were expected to expedite the testing process at border points. However, health officials say the vans haven’t been deployed because they lack Polymerase Chain Reaction-PCR machines, which are the major component for Covid19 testing.

PCR uses nose or throat swabs to identify COVID-19 viruses. Results can be released within two hours or days depending on the number of tests carried out. Apparently, samples collected from cross border truck drivers are rushed to Uganda Virus Research Institute for testing.

The truck drivers are allowed to continue with their journeys pending the release of the test results, which has potential of spreading the virus.

Prof Pontiano Kaleebi, the Executive Director Uganda Virus Research Institute told URN in an interview that they are not sure when the trucks will deploy the trucks since the procurement of the PCR machines might take some time. 

However, sources at the Health Ministry have denied claims that the trucks are grounded and instead attribute their delayed deployment to ongoing training of personnel to man the trucks.

Atek Kagirita, a member of the National COVID Task force, says preparations are ongoing to deploy the van for the uphill task ahead.

“We have to train health workers who will run the vans and carry out testing. The vans also need security officers to protect them. We are arranging all those things before the vans can be commissioned to start work,” Kagirita said.

Kagirita explains that van will need at least 10 people to run it. These will include among others drivers and epidemiologists.  When asked the size of the vans, Kagirita said they are big cars.

He however declined to reveal the location of the vans, saying they will be revealed when they are commissioned. South Africa has deployed similar vans in its COVID-19 response.

The country has deployed over 60 testing vans in different parts of the country to expedite the testing of citizens

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URN