PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): A laboratory for diagnosing Covid-19 disease has been opened in a hospital in the capital of central Logar province, officials said on Monday.
Dr. Qudratullah Adil, Logar public health director, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the coronavirus diagnostic laboratory/PCR machine was activated for the first time in the province.
He added that patients would no longer need to travel to Kabul for Covid-19 test and they now could refer to the laboratory opened in Naib Aminullah Khan Logari Hospital in Pul-i-Alam city.
He said the laboratory cost $120,000 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr.Naeemullah Ayoubi, in charge of preventive medicine at the Ministry of Public Health, said the government leadership was trying to provide effective healthcare to the people.
He termed the opening of the diagnostic laboratory as a facility for the people of Logar and said that the government was working to provide improved health services to the public.
Haji Mali Khan, governor of Logar, said the local government was committed to providing better healthcare to the people and health professionals with job opportunities.
He said that their efforts were on for dealing with health related challenges and people would witness a reformed health system in the near future.
Dr. Nematullah Hamkar, director of Aminullah Khan Logari Hospital, told Pajhwok the newly-opened laboratory was capable of testing 96 samples of Covid-19 in 24 hours.
He said people from neighboring provinces could also benefit from the laboratory.
Abdul Majeed, a resident of Pul-i-Alam city, said that in the past, patients had to travel to Kabul for Covid-19 tests, which consumed money and time.
People would no longer need to waste their money and time as they are now able to perform their tests in the new laboratory here, he said.
He asked officials concerned to provide more healthcare facilities and resolve problems in the health sector.
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