Molecular Biology Laboratory construction advances in Holguín
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
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The construction in Holguín of the Molecular Biology Laboratory (LBM), being built at the Vladimir Ilich Lenin hospital will provide greater autonomy and speed in carrying out real-time PCR diagnostic tests in this territory of more than one million inhabitants.
The operation of the new LBM will allow a greater number of PCRs to be carried out and processed in less time, to diagnose more quickly the disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and to reduce a group of expenses, such as transportation, since today all the tests of the Holguín cases are transferred to Santiago de Cuba and on some occasions to Havana.
It will also allow knowing in a short period if a person is positive for COVID-19 and isolate suspected cases and contacts of the patient; in addition to facilitating active research.
For this investment, the Health system in Holguín allocated more than 500 thousand pesos, of which about 200 thousand correspond to the construction part that consists of three areas: cubicles for the reception and processing of the samples; the administrative area and outdoor spaces, which are run by a brigade from the Art Services Company and self-employed workers.
During a tour of the work, the engineer Marilín Escobar, specialist of the Investment Department of the health center, said that the civil construction is progressing at 75 percent in general.
“The installation of the electrical system and the hydrosanitary network is almost completed, while progress is made in the veneering of walls and work spaces. For this, all the resources are on site, which offers a guarantee to be concluded on September 15,” she said.
The specialist added that for the construction of this Class 2 LBM a health team from the province went to take experiences from the existing one in Santiago de Cuba.
To achieve greater functionality, suggestions made by virologists, microbiologists and other Holguín professionals trained at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, who will work in the new laboratory, were taken into consideration.
She added that the idea of building this laboratory, one of the four under construction in the country at the moment, is part of the services and specialties provided today by the Lenin hospital of Holguín. Other studies, such as genetics and diagnoses of oncological diseases will be also carried out in the new facility.