Eureka Medical Laboratory (EML) has made yet another cutting edge breakthrough in the local medical industry as they will soon provide Viral Testing.
The Viral Testing would enable Guyanese to be tested for Zika and Chikungunya among other viruses, right here in Georgetown, whereas, in the past these tests would have to be done abroad.
“These two tests are normally done abroad, and are merely a fraction of the possible tests that Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc. is venturing into in the next few months,” a statement by the entity said.
The EML Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Boyle met recently with Co-Diagnostics Inc President, Dwight Egan, to finalize the setting up of a viral laboratory as an expansion of EML’s services to the public.
Co-Diagnostics Inc. is a Utah corporation headquartered in Sandy, Utah. It is a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures and markets a new, state-of-the-art diagnostics technology. Using the power of computers to create unique mathematical models instead of relying on costly laboratory infrastructure, the Company has created a revolutionary new DNA-based testing platform, resulting in tests that are faster, much more affordable, flexible; simple to use, accurate, and adaptable to both high-volume and portable, low-cost analytical devices.
EML has collected samples for Zika testing in recent weeks for the initial testing using a method called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) developed by Karry Mullis in the 80s, for which he garnered the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Asked about this initiative, Egan said, “We are pleased to introduce this cutting-edge technology to the people of Guyana. We plan to make available a large menu of tests over the coming year that will enable the citizens of Guyana to have the same high quality of molecular tests enjoyed in the most developed countries in the world. We are appreciative of the support we have received from the Eureka Lab, the Ministry of Health and other government officials in introducing this needed technology to the people of this beautiful country.”
Through the aforementioned technology, laboratory test results can be made available more accurately and in a faster turnaround time. For instance, the machine being introduced can test 48 blood samples per hour for Zika. The tests also include, Chikungunya, TB, various STIs, HIV, Hepatitis B Hepatitis C and many more.
