Rwanda’s new Mobile Lab unit will highly increase COVID-19 testing capacity hence strengthening quick response to the pandemic. Rwanda received the equipment from the East African Community in April 2020 and the mobile lab will make easy COVID-19 testing countrywide.

“This lab will almost double our COVID-19 testing capacity and its mobile nature will facilitate mass testing throughout the country,” says the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana.

The uniquely-fitted vans are equipped to carry out the same function as a laboratory, a great addition toincrease the number of samples tested per day using the available 3 testing equipment. Sampling and testing units will be deployed nationwide to all priority districts with suspected COVID-19 cases which will as well reduce on the turnaround time since samples will not be transported to Kigali first.

The mobile laboratory is equipped with test kits and personal protective gear including   gloves, gowns, masks, goggles and shoe protectors. The mobile labs will focus on sampling a range of specimens for Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).