Suspected patients will have to undergo pre-assessment screening before being tested for coronavirus, says Nasir Shah. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Sindh unveils country’s first drive-through COVID-19 testing facility in Karachi

Suspected patients will have to undergo pre-assessment screening before being tested for coronavirus, says Nasir Shah


Vakeel Rao March 31, 2020
KARACHI: In an unprecedented development, first drive-through coronavirus testing facility has been established by the Sindh government in Karachi which will enable suspected coronavirus patients to get themselves tested without having to wait in long hospital queues.

"This initiative is part of our war against coronavirus and we have been facing huge demand for coronavirus testing," Sindh Local Body Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said while speaking to media on Tuesday.

So far, Sindh has reported over 600 coronavirus cases with eight deaths and authorities are struggling to ramp up their testing capacity which is the most effective way to curb the spread of highly-contagious disease besides social distancing.

Explaining the procedure of availing the state-of-the-art facility, the provincial minister said that people will have to book appointment for COVID-19 test and "only those who are being issued code numbers can undergo the screening".

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The newly-established facility will ensure the social distancing measures as suspected coronavirus patients will no longer have to go to hospital or laboratories which will reduce the chances of transmission, he added.

Shah also said that people will have to participate in a pre-assessment screening where they will be asked several questions regarding symptoms of coronavirus including their travel history before being allowed to get tested for COVID-19 as the authorities are facing acute shortage of diagnostic kits and making all-out efforts to ramp up their capacity.

"We have also installed an x-ray machine which is a new technique to know whether a suspected patient meets the criteria for coronavirus test."

The minister said the drive-through testing facility will be expanded across the province.

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