THE recently acquired $8M equipment to aid local testing for the H1N1 virus was installed and calibrated on Monday.

But the arrival of a specialist from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States (U.S.) has been delayed until next Monday.

The new $8M equipment at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory.

He was expected, from Atlanta, on Sunday but was unable to come then, said Dr. Colin Roach, Director of the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL).

According to him: “The specialist needed to be sure that everything was done at our end. Now that is complete, there should not be any more delays,” he said.

Roach said the things to equip the clinic were procured by Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) from overseas based Applied Bio-Systems, which facilitated the installation and calibration.

He explained that Guyana is working, in partnership with the CDC, to advance support efforts from where the supplier left off.

“CDC will be assisting us with re-agents and the rolling out of the testing process. They also agreed to train our local lab technicians,” Roach informed.

He said the training is scheduled to last for approximately one week, including two or three days of hands-on testing and another two days of observation.

“After this, we will start testing locally,” Roach announced.

However, he said, in the quest to maintain quality assurance, the laboratory will be collaborating with the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) in Trinidad.

Roach said the same samples tested locally will also be sent to CAREC to assure not only quality but also compliance with international standards.

He said that process is likely to continue for approximately two weeks before the collaboration with CAREC.

Meanwhile, the number of Guyanese confirmed as affected by the H1N1 virus remains 27, as stated by the Health Ministry at the end of December.

The date of arrival of the vaccines is still January 15 and, until then, the Ministry is encouraging persons to continue practising good hygiene. (VANESSA NARINE)