World Health Organization, USAID donates consigment of laboratory equipment for National Public Health Agency

Chisinau, 28 July /MOLDPRES/ - Twenty five laboratory fridges and 12 water distillers have been purchased and today were delivered to the National Public Health Agency (ANSP) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as response to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Attending the event of receiving the equipment was Health Labour and Social Protection Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu. ‘’The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge for the health system; yet, despite this provocation, we are determined to strengthen its capacity. The support provided today by WHO and USAID to the National Public Health Agency will help specialists carry out their activity according to the standards in the sector. Sincere appreciations to the colleagues who work at the ANSP laboratories, for dedication and considerable effort on this complicated period,’’ Dumbraveanu said.    

ANSP director Nicolae Furtuna thanked, on behalf of the institution and the  territorial structures, for the support provided by WHO and USAID – partners which are always by our side and back ANSP’s activity. ‘’This consignment of equipment will significantly contribute to increasing the capacities and optimizing the work, in order to ensure the quality and quickness of the laboratory capacities, continuity of diagnosis and biosecurity requirements in the laboratories,’’ Furtuna said.     

The support provided by WHO and USAID is aimed at consolidating the capacities of ANSP laboratories, including of those involved in the diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection through techniques of molecular biology. Thus, the equipment will be distributed to all territorial Public Health Centres (CSP): CSP Chisinau, CSP Orhei, CSP Soroca, CSP Edinet, CSP Causeni, CSP Ungheni, CSP Cahul, CSP Comrat, CSP Hancesti, CSP Balti.

The fridges will allow preserving in safe conditions the biological samples collected for testing for COVID-19, other laboratory samples, as well as the reagents for techniques of molecular biology. The distillers for purifying the water from the centralized aqueduct will ensure the quality of the water at the reconstituting the reagents and will ensure the laboratory procedures according to the requirements. The value of the today’s donation is 60,000 dollars.