Home-Grown Test Kit: Gonoshasthaya Gives Samples for Approval

Home-Grown Test Kit: Gonoshasthaya Gives Samples for Approval

In another step towards the extensive production of Covid-19 test kits in Bangladesh, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) yesterday handed over samples of the kit devised by its scientists to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and therefore the US Centre for Disease Control for validation checks.

Gonoshasthaya Kendra Trust Chairperson Prof Altafunnesa handed over the kits named "Rapid Dot Blot" to the representatives of the 2 institutions at a programme at Gonoshasthaya Kendra Nagar Hospital within the city.

 

Home-Grown Test Kit Gonoshasthaya Gives Samples for Approval

The final approval, which might exact positive feedbacks from the 2 testing authorities, are going to be given by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).

As nobody from the DGDA attended the programme, GK would deliver the sample kits to the drug authority today.

Samples of the kits also will be sent to soldiers Institute of Pathology.

Contacted, DGDA Director General Maj Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman said they didn't send any representative as they found holding a programme "inappropriate" given the present situation.

He also said it's early to mention whether the kit would be approved or not as there are some protocols to follow.

Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder trustee of GK, at the programme said, "We expect that the govt would quickly approve the kit after the validation.

He also said they might be ready to supply one lakh kits within a couple of days after they are going into production.

The development comes at a time when Bangladesh is during a dire need of testing kits to check more people and isolate the positive cases – thus far the simplest thanks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

At present, Chinese test kits are getting used mostly to detect Covid-19 patients within the country.

Bijon Kumar Sil, who led the team that developed the kit, said the kit pass enlist their internal tests, adding that it might ready to diagnose Covid-19 in five minutes.

The team also include Nihad Adnan, Raeed Jamiruddin, Firoz Ahmed and Mohib Ullah Khondokar.

Bijon was among the researchers who had developed a kit to diagnose SARS coronavirus in 2003.