Dr Annuar (fourth left) hands over the Real Time PCR Machine to Dr Muhammad Ng Siah Huat while (from left) Dr Teh, Dr Mohd Raili, and Dr Toh (right).
SIBU: The Sibu Hospital here received the real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine yesterday enabling the hospital to carry out test for Covid-19 without having to send samples to Kuching.
According to Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technology Research Dr Annuar Rapaee, the machine is donated by a local private company and just arrived from Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“With this machine, the testing can be done here in Sibu, instead of sending all the way to Kuching,” he told reporters after the handing over of the machine at SEGi University Sibu Clinical campus at Sibu Hospital yesterday.
He said the machine can start operating tomorrow and the test result could be ready in one day.
He also said that the first batch of reagents purchased by the state government had also just arrived yesterday from Kuala Lumpur.
“We received the first batch today, there are 10 test kits. The government purchased 200 test kits of reagent and it is expected to arrive in the next few weeks,” he said, adding that the 200 test kits can test 16,000 specimens.
He said with such machine and test kits, Sibu Hospital is able to provide Covid-19 tests in the Central Region.
He said the test will be done at Clinical Research Laboratory at Sibu Hospital by the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) and Pathology Department Staff.
The Real Time PCR Machine to carry out Covid-19 test now available in Sibu Hospital.
The personnel had undergone training at the General Hospital in Kuching.
“The CRC Laboratory is a joint venture between Sibu Hospital, Segi University, and Duke University.
“This laboratory was established in 2017 for clinical research purposes. It is good that this laboratory can now function for clinical services,” he said.
Also present at the handing over were Sibu Divisional Health Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun, Acting Director of Sibu Hospital Dr Muhammad Ng Siah Huat, SEGi University Sibu Clinical Campus associate dean Professor Dr Mohd Raili Suhaili, and CRC head Dr Toh Teck Hock.