The United Arab Emirates has launched a novel way of testing its citizens for the coronavirus. The government recently announced that it has launched a drive-through coronavirus testing facility to limit the social contact between healthcare workers and potential patients, and to control the spread of the virus further.
The facility will use state-of-the-art equipment and an effective medial team to provide a safe screening process in just five minutes. The results will be available to the patients within 24 to 48 hours. The patient will not have to get down from his car, as the entire process, right from screening to testing is done without much human contact
Located at Zayed Sport City, the center is managed by AHS, a division under Abu Dhabi’s public health provider, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company. It can test around 600 people in a day; however, priority will be given to senior citizens, people with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women. The facility will be open from 8am to 8pm on all week days.
The centre was inaugurated by Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. He posted a picture of himself getting tested at the facility on his Twitter account saying, “Today, I visited the mobile COVID-19 Test Center set up by SEHA as part of measures to contain the virus. Medical teams out in the field are the first line of protection of the UAE, their sacrifices safeguard our health.”.
Today, I visited the mobile COVID-19 Test Center set up by SEHA as part of measures to contain the virus. Medical teams out in the field are the first line of protection of the UAE, their sacrifices safeguard our health. pic.twitter.com/nrO0iCFr8t
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) March 28, 2020
An official at the facility confirmed that around 300 people were tested in the first eight hours of the opening.
“Our aim with introducing this facility is to minimise the contact between COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers, as well as to reduce exposure of regular patients at health facilities to those afflicted by the coronavirus,” said Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, chief operating officer at the Ambulatory Healthcare Services.
The World Health Organization has recommended more testing of the virus to ensure that it does not spread. We hope that this facility will help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
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