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Training for MOH Hospitals and Public Health
Laboratories
The Virology Unit, IMR had conducted training on laboratory testing for COVID-19 to all
state hospital laboratories except Kangar as well as five public health laboratories, on 30
January 2020 to enable decentralization of laboratory testing for COVID-19.
At the initial stage (first two weeks), they sent the detected positive cases to IMR to be
reconfirmed to ensure accurate reports at that point of time. IMR also provides COVID-19
External Quality Assessment Project (EQAP) to all MOH testing laboratories to ensure
competency in them.
To increase the capacity of testing, we evaluated the capability of private laboratories. This
was done because we (IMR and MKAK Sg Buloh) couldn't cope with a large number of
samples. Also, the samples needed to be tested immediately so that we can trace and contain
them. Because of this, we wanted more facilities to be able to test.
Diagram 6: List of Hospitals and Public Health Laboratories That Have been trained to
perform Real Time RT-PCR for COVID-19 (30 Jan 2020)
