RMCH receives PCR machine to detect coronavirus

The machine for Polymerase Chain Reaction testing, known as PCR, has reached the laboratory of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Thursday evening and will be used for detection of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Testing for coronavirus would be possible when the Public Works Department complete the installation of the machine in a week, RMCH's governing body chairman Fazle Hossain Badsha told The Daily Star yesterday.

"By this time, we hope that coronavirus testing kits would be made available to the hospital," Badsha, also a lawmaker from Rajshahi, said.

The PCR machines were provided to six other medical college hospitals across the country, he added.

"Using the machine, we will be able to test COVID-19 with samples of throat swabs and blood and provide results within a day," RMCH Deputy Director Dr Saiful Ferdous said.

He said the hospital is currently witnessing a rush of patients, but the hospital could not so far test them due to lack of testing facility.

Along with the PCR machine, a fresh supply of 1000 Personal Protective Equipment, 1000 masks, 1000 hand-gloves and enough sanitisers for the doctors and laboratories have also reached the hospital at the same time, he added.