Private laboratories are officially thrown into the battle of tests to detect as many cases as possible.
After consultations, the agreement was reached and there is now a list of nine private laboratories where citizens can take the tests. What needs to be clarified, however, is the process by which the tests will be performed.
Step by step
- Citizens contact their personal doctor. He will tell them if they meet the criteria to take the test and then the citizens will contact themselves, with the laboratory they have chosen to take the test.
- If the citizen's symptoms are such as, for example, high fevers, then the doctor will undertake to make an appointment with the Public Health Clinics to which he will be referred for the test.
- The tests will not be performed in laboratories but in areas designated by private chemists. After confirming that they have to take the test, the citizens will contact the chemist to arrange the place where the sampling will take place (this is not a blood sample, but a saliva sample from the throat and nose).
- It is clarified that all those who will take the tests should be covered by the protocol of the Ministry of Health. In other words, the test should not be abused by citizens who have no symptoms or have not come into contact with a confirmed case. If abused it will obviously lead to shortages of consumables and will not exist when there is a real need.
In terms of cost, this is determined by private laboratories. As SigmaLive is informed, the prices range from 120 euros to 180 euros (approximately). In case of profiteering then the Ministry of Health will intervene to impose a ceiling.
Below is the list of workshops:
1. ACT-BIO Laboratory Cooperative (Biomedical Laboratories- Haris Charilaou Biomedical Laboratories, Andreas Adamou Chemistry and BIOCHECK-Tiggiridis Clinical Laboratories)
2. MEDIFOS Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis
3. Theocharidis Clinical Laboratories
4. Mendel Center for Biomedical Sciences
5. MyGene Molecular Diagnostics
6. Diogenes Chemistry (CD DNA Biomedica Science Lab)
7. KP Lambrou Labs Ltd
8. Biomedical Group (Giannoukas Chemistry)
9. Collaboration of Bioanalysis Clinical Labs (Limassol), Tymbios Clinical Chemistry (Nicosia) and PZ Agapiou Diagnostics Laboratories
10. NIPD Genetics (from Sunday, March 29, 2020)
11. Molecular Department of American Medical Center (from Monday, March 30, 2020).
The above list will be updated.
It is noted that, until the verification process of the reactive cases under investigation is completed, they will be sent to the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics for final processing and result and then the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry will inform the citizens about the test result.
It is clarified that direct access to the Clinical Laboratories for sampling, which will not be a referral from the mechanism of the Ministry of Health, based on the appropriate protocols of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, will be the sole responsibility of the citizen.
Source: sigmalive