KUCHING: The state and federal governments have each contributed two mobile Biosafety Level (BSL) Molecular Laboratories (M-LAB) for hospitals in the state to increase its Covid-19 testing capacity.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the state government contributed one M-LAB unit each to Limbang Hospital and Kapit Hospital, while the ones for Miri Hospital and Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) were contributed by the federal government.
“Although matters pertaining to health are under the purview of the federal government, because the lives of Sarawakians are at stake, the state and federal governments have teamed up to distribute the BSL M-LAB,” he said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 7).
He added on top of that, there will also be additional lab upgrades for the hospitals in Bintulu and Sibu.
“With all these upgrades, (we) will be able to have more than 1,500 PCR tests done per day,” he said.
Dr Sim said with the additional testing, it will increase the capacity of PCR testing from the current 6,000 PCR tests per day.
“When Covid-19 started in March last year, only SGH and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) could perform the PCR test with a capacity of 1,500 tests per day,” he said.
He then said following the success of the BSL Level 3 specification M-LAB donated by a consortium of private companies last year at Sarawak Heart Centre, it has enabled the state to perform up to 800 PCR tests per day.
“Therefore, in view of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, (there is a) very urgent need for more BSL throughout Sarawak,” he said.
He said the fastest way to do so is to replicate the mobile BSL M-LAB of the Sarawak Heart Centre.
“Together with the Sarawak Health Department and respective hospitals, we must continue to look for newer and faster technology for PCR testing,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas together with Dr Sim was present to send off the mobile M-LAB to Kapit Hospital.
