The Ministry of Health has released the names of laboratories approved to test and issue results for coronavirus( COVID-19) in the country.
According to the Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda has only 9 government accredited laboratories and 3 private laboratories that are licensed to test for COVID-19.
These, according to the list released are;
Government Accredited Laboratories
- Central Public Health laboratories ( CPHL)
2. Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MAK)
3. Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)
4. Tororo Mobile Laboratory
5. Adjumani Mobile Laboratory
6. Mild May Laboratory
7. Mutukula Point of Entry Laboratory
8. Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) – Makerere University
9. Uganda Cancer Institute – Fred Hutchison Laboratory
Privately Accredited Laboratories;
1. MBN Laboratories
2. Medipal Hospital
3. Lancet Laboratories
The minister cleared the air that a number of Ugandans are forging COVID-19 test results to fulfill their personal interests.
“We have noted serious forging of result certificates by sections of the public for reasons best known to them.” She said.
All this happened while addressing the press on the COVID-19 situation in the country. Dr. Aceng also explained that they have received lots of complaints that some people receive two result slips upon upon testing for the virus which is really not good at all.
Therefore in a bid to reduce forgery of results, the Ministry said one should consider his/her results valid if they have the following features;
1. The signature of the manager or the testing technician.
2. Name of the testing Laboratory.
3. Stamp of the testing Laboratory
4. QR code
The results must be traceable in the Ministry of Health (MOH) data base.