The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) donated to the Philippines kits that use nuclear techniques for quick and accurate detection of the dreaded 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The donation was part of IAEA’s program to help its member-states address the pandemic. The Philippines is one of the agency’s member-states.
Called the Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the technology is an important tool in detecting Covid-19 quickly, enabling doctors to immediately come up with diagnosis and provide proper medical care, increasing the survival chance of patients.
The diagnostic kits include microcentrifuge for sample extraction, shaker vortex, thermocycler, scanner for cryotubes, fast virus master mix and personal protective equipment.
The €84,000 (P4,776,595)-worth donation is expected to be delivered in a few days to the Department of Health (DOH) which will field it to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and hospitals that conduct Covid-19 testing.
The IAEA will likewise conduct a training on the use of nuclear-derived techniques for the detection of Covid-19 when current restrictions are eased. It will be participated in by two professors from the University of the Philippines Manila.
The detection kits were requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs for the DOH, and facilitated by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the IAEA with the support of the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the country’s authority on nuclear matters.
This IAEA donation was part of the technical cooperation project, titled “Strengthening Capabilities of Member States in Building, Strengthening and Restoring Capacities and Services in Case of Outbreaks, Emergencies and Disasters.” S&T Media Service