The African Union (AU) Special Envoy for COVID-19, Strive Masiyiwa has announced the arrival of COVID-19 Test Laboratories in Zimbabwe.
Masiyiwa wrote:
A few weeks ago someone made a presentation to me on a new Technology for T-Testing.
I immediately spotted its potential to help African countries at borders and airports. It can also help airlines. It is called a Mobile Laboratory.
So I acted:
#1. We put it on the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) so that every African country can buy it. Several African countries have now ordered the system for their borders.
#2. I ordered them using my own money; five laboratories for US$150 000 for the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
We then dispatched teams to the border post and, working in collaboration with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and the Immigration department, we have now built a full laboratory and staffed it.
Although the work was done by teams from Econet’s engineering teams working with our Ambulance business Medical Air Rescue Services (MARS) it is for FREE as part of our own efforts to end this pandemic.
Our plan is to put such systems at all border posts and airports so that people can goods can move quickly.
Instead of waiting 5 days for results, they can get them within 30 minutes!
