As part of the Ministry of Health (MOH) keenness to harness the latest medical technologies to serve the pilgrims in this year’s Hajj season, the ministry decided to use the East Arafat Hospital’s mobile third-level safety laboratory to detect micro-organisms that cause infectious and epidemic diseases, including Coronavirus. This lab is equipped with the latest technologies to test samples and deliver results in a few hours.
The Deputy Director of King Fahad Center for Medical Research of King Abdulaziz University (KAU) and the Member of MOH Council of Medical Advisors, Dr. Esam Ibraheem Azhar, said the newly-launched mobile lab came as result of cooperation between MOH and KAU, pointing out that the lab is ready to receive samples from the Holy Sites’ medical points to test them and deliver results in 4 to 6 hours.
In the same vein, Dr. Azhar underlined that all the governmental sectors are cooperating with each other in the Hajj season to provide high-quality health services for pilgrims, noting that this comes as part of an integrated and harmonized system offered by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to ensure safety and comfort of pilgrims.
Furthermore, Dr. Azhar illustrated that the lab can detect micro-organisms that cause infectious and epidemic diseases in the latest diagnostic ways, highlighting that it is equipped with the best safety means, atop of which is the negative air pressure which helps contain factors causing infectious diseases. “The lab is supplied with all safety means, which are necessary to protect workers, the environment and samples from contamination for true test results,” Dr. Azhar said, noting that the air is discharged by the eco-friendly HEPA filters.
Speaking about the work mechanism of the lab, Dr. Azhar pointed out that it is based on the speedy and accurate performance making use of the latest technologies to detect the genetic material of the virus as well as the advanced materials available inside the lab. He underscored that the lab is manned by well-qualified cadres, who are specialized in this field.
In conclusion, Dr. Azhar reiterated that the mobile lab can identify if the case is infectious or not within a short period of time. “In the Hajj season, we provide a major focus for Coronavirus so that we can take the precautions and measures necessary for checking on the infected cases and preventing the spread of the virus.”