Zimpapers Logo

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GWERU Provincial Hospital is set to start Covid-19 tests after Government allocated it a GeneXpert machine.

Previously, samples were sent to Harare and Bulawayo.

The GeneXpert device was widely deployed about a decade ago to rapidly detect tuberculosis, including multi-drug resistant strains.

The machine has since been adapted to enable rapid testing of many pathogens, including influenza, ebola and sexually transmitted infections.

In an interview on Thursday, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister, Larry Mavima who is also the Covid-19 Provincial Inter Ministerial Taskforce chairperson said all is in place for testing to commence.

He said the GeneXpert machine will also see the province testing returning citizens locally.

“Let me point out that our testing system has now improved significantly and we will not be holding back any results unnecessarily. The sooner we get the results the better and now that we have the GeneXpert here, the cartridges, swabs, we intend to be testing more on a regular basis and we will be releasing people as soon as they complete their eight days. The GeneXpert machine is at Gweru Provincial Hospital,” said Minister Mavima.

The minister said close to 150 returning residents have been tested and discharged from quarantine centres after testing negative following PCR tests.

Midlands Province, he said, has three centres namely Kwekwe High School in Kwekwe, Gweru Polytechnic College and Mkoba Teachers’ College in Gweru.

“To date all but two people have been discharged so far which means that 116 have been discharged. As of this morning around 30 have been discharged from Mkoba Teachers’ College quarantine centre after having received their PCR results today and we are expecting more results to come in,” he said.

Minister Mavima said the province has recorded four Covid-19 cases and three of the patients are self-isolating at home.

“Three have been discharged for self-isolation from their homes in Gokwe and the third one, a pregnant woman has been taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital awaiting delivery of her baby,” he said.

According to experts, there are some 23 000 GeneXpert devices worldwide, including an estimated 7 000-10 000 instruments scattered across Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. The machine can process nose swab samples in 45 minutes and perform up to 96 tests in 24 hours.