Conducting SARS-CoV-2 tests at Thái Nguyên Central Hospital. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Nguyên

HÀ NỘI — The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ, Yên Bái, Lào Cai and Quảng Ninh are among healthcare facilities capable of conducting SARS-CoV-2 tests in Việt Nam, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry has published a list of 22 facilities that are qualified for doing quick tests on blood samples and respiratory tract specimens using Real time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to identify the virus.

National-level qualified facilities include the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institutes in HCM City and Nha Trang, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Central Highlands region, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, National Paediatrics Hospital, Bạch Mai Hospital, Military 108 Hospital and the Military Preventive Medicine Institute.

Huế Central Hospital, Thái Nguyên Central Hospital, Phú Thọ Province’s General Hospital and the Việt Nam-Russia Tropical Centre can also conduct the tests.

In HCM City, the city’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Chợ Rẫy Hospital, HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No 1 are on the list.

The health ministry asked the qualified labs to follow testing instructions of the World Health Organization and US’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The facilities are responsible for reporting the positive test results to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control and local steering committees.

The RT-PCR test kits, which were developed by the Military Medical University and Việt Á Corporation, and have been approved by the health ministry, can detect SARS-CoV-2 in specimens of droplets obtained from the respiratory tract and blood samples.

The timescale for results, including the preparation time for the specimen, is two hours.

Việt Nam is able to make dozens of test kits per day at a cost of about VNĐ500,000 (US$21.5) for a single test. — VNS