The Health Ministry is denying that fake and contaminated tests are being sent to Guyana.
See full statement below:
The Ministry of Health would like to strongly condemn a deliberate, irresponsible and reckless campaign to spread fake news relating to COVID-19 testing. There is no fake tests in the national system and no country is sending contaminated tests to Guyana.
Guyana has nurtured an international cooperation platform for COVID-19 testing and for the overall fight against COVID-19. Besides working with PAHO/WHO, Guyana is working closely with ourcounterparts in other Caribbean countries and with the Caribbean Public Health Agency which is headquartered in Trinidad. Guyana is working closely also with counterparts in the USA, Canada, Europe and other parts of the world.
Guyana is grateful for the support we are receiving from many countries around the world and we reject the attempt by misguided individuals trying to cast aspersion against any country.
The COVID-19 testing in Guyana is done with equipment and testing reagents from only validated and certified sources. The PCR testing for diagnostic purposes that is being done at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory is done with a PCR machine that is used widely in the Caribbean, the US, Canada and Europe and other parts of the world.
The COVID-19 test reagents which we presently used were supplied by PAHO/WHO. The swabs which we use to obtain specimens from persons who we test have been procured by PAHO/WHO.
The test procedures we use in Guyana follow international standards and is the same standards used in Caribbean countries and in North America and Europe.
Guyana has a well trained-COVID-19 Testing Staff and is about to significantly expand it. The laboratory staff presently engaged in COVID-19 testing, including the medical technologists, are highly qualified, certified for COVID-19 testing. Presently, an additional 30 Guyanese medical technologists are in training and will be certified this week as trained for COVID-19 testing, using the same equipment used in Barbados and other Caribbean countries and in the United States and other developed countries.
