Four West Papua Medical Workers Participate in PCR Training in Makassar

Four West Papua Medical Workers Participate in PCR Training in Makassar

Four medical personnel from West Papua will go to the Makassar Health Laboratory Center, South Sulawesi, to practice how to use the Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR tool in Covid-19 suspected swab testing. They consist of a doctor and three health analysts.

West Papua Covid-19 Task Force spokesman, Dr. Arnold Tiniap said the four medical personnel will undergo training on the use of PCR in the Covid-19 unexpected swab testing for one week. They will study the operation of the PCR tool, procedures for testing swabs, and summarize the results of that test.

According to Tiniap, the four medical workers will be dispatched to the Center for Health Laboratory in Makassar on Monday (1/6/2020).

"The PCR tool already exists. Tomorrow Monday one doctor and three analysts will go to Makassar to undergo training, "said Tiniap on Sunday (5/31/2020).

With the availability of PCR equipment and medical personnel who are able to operate the equipment, the number of swabs to be inspected can be more. Tiniap said with this development the number of confirmed corona positive cases in West Papua could increase.

"If the PCR tool can already be used, people need not be surprised if the confirmation number increases. Within a day, the PCR tool is capable of examining 20 to 90 swab samples, "Tiniap added.

Tiniap said it also had the reagents or fluids needed in the Covid-19 unexpected swab test using PCR. According to him, the existing reagents were enough to inspect 1,000 swabs.