MOH to build health laboratory complex in Kuching

A Health Laboratory Complex, which includes an Infectious Disease Laboratory, will be built in Kuching, Sarawak, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The ministry in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat today said, initial works for the project had been approved under the Fourth Rolling Plan of the 11th Malaysia Plan.

It said, the complex, to be located at Batu 11, Jalan Kuching-Serian, would comprise a Public Health Laboratory as well as a Food Safety and Quality Laboratory.

“The Public Health Laboratory will have an Infectious Disease Laboratory which can be used to conduct COVID-19 detection and verification tests,” said the ministry.

The reply was in response to a question from Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat (GPS-Betong) on whether the MOH planned to establish a special laboratory to diagnose infectious diseases such as COVID-19 in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, MOH said, the special molecular laboratories to detect and verify COVID-19 had begun operation in five hospitals in Sarawak, namely, the Sarawak General Hospital; Sibu Hospital; Bintulu Hospital; Miri Hospital and the Sarawak Heart Centre.

In addition, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and the Borneo Medical Centre also conducted COVID-19 detection and verification tests.

“This brings the test capacity for COVID-19 in Sarawak to 2,226 tests per day. As of Aug 6, 91,156 COVID-19 tests had been conducted in Sarawak,” said the ministry. - BERNAMA