HE FIRST OF FOUR LABORATORIES, each of which
includes 19 equipment and accessories that are used for PCR
laboratories according to WHO guideline , is now ready to serve the
public.
The first of four fully equipped PCR laboratories with
a set of essential 19 equipment and accessories have been launched at
the National Center for Maternal and Child Health of Mongolia today. The
laboratories are being established under the project with a grant of
602,000 USD from Rio Tinto. Most of the remaining three laboratory
equipments have arrived in Mongolia, and these fully equipped PCR
laboratories are to be established at the State Hospital Number 2,
National Center for Maternal and Child Health of Mongolia in
Ulaanbaatar, the Regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Umnugobi
province, and the General Hospital of Zamiin-Uud soum in Dornogobi
province, the most strategic areas in Mongolia. The laboratory
specialists and human resources who will be working in the laboratories
have been successfully trained.
As
part of the Telemedicine, the second component of the project, health
workers of bags of provinces and khoroos of districts are provided with
the Primary health care provider kits. During the PCR laboratory’s
launch event, we handed over the kits to each 14 family health centers
of 17th khoroo of Songinokhairkhan district. The kits include tablets and other medical items required for Telemedicine services.
“We
are glad to see the government’s commitment to the sustainability of
these laboratories. This is the excellent example of Public and Private
Partnership that was facilitated by United Nations and both the national
and local governments have ensured the funds for building the capacity
of the laboratory specialists as well as renovation of laboratory
buildings in the hospitals.” said Kaori Ishikawa, UNFPA’s Head of Office
in Mongolia.
With the commissioning of these 4 PCR laboratories
in accordance with WHO recommendations, Mongolia will have 38 PCR
laboratories with a capacity of 42 thousand samples per day, data
provided by the Ministry of Health in Mongolia.
“At the
COVID-19 pandemic time, we are pleased that these four fully equipped
international standard laboratories, established with a relief fund from
the Rio Tinto, now start servicing to the public. We will continue to
support COVID-19 in overcoming the effects of the pandemic,” said Kh.
Amarjargal, Rio Tinto’s Deputy Country Director for Mongolia. Through
the Mongolian Red Cross Society’s volunteers, Rio Tinto Mongolia LLC has
provided food packages to 3,420 households whose financial situation
has deteriorated during the lockdown.
Oyu Tolgoi’s chief
executive officer, Armando Torres, said, “COVID-19 is testing our
resilience as a community. At the same time, Oyu Tolgoi is working hard
to keep our employees safe and well, and our operations running, so we
can continue to contribute to Mongolia’s economic and social well-being.
We are all in this together, and together we can overcome the
challenges we are facing.”
The opening ceremony of the fully
equipped PCR laboratory took place on February 05, 2021 at the National
Center for Maternal and Child Health of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar. Please
click HERE to download photos and videos of the opening ceremony of the laboratory.
About the project
In
October 2020, Rio Tinto announced that it would provide a grant of
602,000 USD in response to COVID-19 in Mongolia. In this context, Rio
Tinto are working together with Oyu Tolgoi LLC and the UNFPA to
implement the “Building the Capacity for COVID-19 Diagnosis and Service
Delivery for the Most Vulnerable in Mongolia amidst Pandemic” for
enhancing the capacity of health sector with a focus on COVID-19
preparedness and recovery in Mongolia. The PCR laboratories established
at the State Hospital Number 2 in Ulaanbaatar, the Regional Diagnostic
and Treatment Centre in Umnugobi province and the General Hospital of
Zamiin-Uud soum in Dornogobi province will significantly increase the
COVID-19 diagnostic capacity at the most strategic locations of
Mongolia.
All four laboratories are fully equipped with a set of
essential 19 equipment and accessories that are used to carry out safe
testing, following the WHO laboratory biosafety guidance related to
COVID-19. This sustainable investment in diagnostic capacity of the
hospitals include capacity building of the laboratory specialists and
will be used not only in COVID-19 pandemic but also various infectious
diseases including influenza, antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, and
sexually transmitted infections, as well as new and re-emerging
infections at soum and provincial level, and in Ulaanbaatar. In
addition, it will serve as an important tool for ensuring safe pregnancy
of Mongolian women.
In
addition to the 4 PCR laboratories, telemedicine service will be
established at the primary health care units as part of this project
with aims to ensure the continuity of vital health services for persons
requiring regular medical check-ups. A total of 86 tablets, 14 laptops
and primary health care provider kits will be provided to health workers
of bags and khoroos.
Leave a Reply