As we speak now, Uganda is among the top 10 countries in Africa that have tested more people for COVID-19, with more than 58,000samples tested at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).
This number, in the last three weeks or so, has been mainly dominated by truck drivers from Kenya and Tanzania that have been tested at several border points. This is in addition to those tested from the community under the Rapid Assessment Survey in the communities.
All has been going great but the Ministry of Health now faces a shortage of testing kits. The UVRI where all samples are tested has said that they have used up all the testing kits they had purchased and those donated, and are now borrowing those that were donated to Makerere University Hospital.
Dr Julius Lutwama, the Deputy Director of UVRI said that the specific components they are lacking in the testing kits are the probes and primers.
“The kits are made up of RNA/DNA extraction, the master mix, probes and primers,” he explained.
The probes and primers are used to determine whether the sample actually has the coronavirus being sought. A sample may have a number of other viruses.
Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, the UVRI Director said that the government has already placed orders for testing kits from several suppliers in different countries and that they will be here soon.
This was confirmed by Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the Minister of State for Primary Healthcare, who said that the consignment is already in transit and it will be in the country in a week’s time, according to the Daily Monitor.