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Digital booths for Covid-19 screening, testing launched


Published : 04 Jun 2020 10:09 PM | Updated : 04 Sep 2020 04:45 PM

Digital booths to help increase capacity in Bangladesh for COVID-19 screening and testing at a time have been launched at Mugda Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka.  

The Digital Healthcare Solutions (DH) and the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi) supported the initiative under a multi-partner consortium led by Concern Worldwide. 

The Concern Worldwide said this is the first of its kind initiative in Bangladesh to set up one-stop Covid19 service both screening and sample collection. 

The Mugda Medical College is providing operational support, and ideSHi will provide support for the full laboratory testing of the COVID19 samples. 

The DH has followed design guidelines developed by the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), who have adapted successful designs from South Korea and other  countries for the Bangladesh context. 

 The IAB designs aims to provide highest safety standards for patients, and protect sample collectors from risk of infection, through a completely airtight negative pressure system.

 After a tele-consultation with a doctor, patients with strong symptoms of COVID-19 will proceed to the nearby DH Sample collection booth at Mugda Medical College & Hospital, and provide his/her sample. 

 This service will be available daily, from morning to evening, except Friday, and the service is totally free of cost to the patient. 

 Patients will get the test result and additional advice, within 48 hours. 

 In order to ensure quality and safety, this booth will collect 150 samples daily, on a first come first serve basis. At all times, norms of physical distancing will be followed. 

 Based on the success of the booth at MuMCH, Concern Worldwide will support the Digital Healthcare and other members of the consortium to scale up such one-stop booths in other parts of the country based on need.

 Focus will be on helping disadvantage populations in hard to reach rural areas of Khulna and Barisal divisions with UK aid support.