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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
GOVERNMENT will soon avail more PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machines for Covid-19 testing in Beitbridge due to increased numbers of people returning from South Africa as well as commercial traffic passing through Beitbridge Border Post.

Presently, health officials are relying on two GeneExpert machines that have the capacity to each test four samples per hour.

An average of 200 Zimbabweans are returning from South Africa by road through Beitbridge Border Post daily.

Since the lockdown was declared on March 30, over 5 000 people have passed through NSSA Hotel which is being used as an isolation and quarantine centre.

Beitbridge District Medical Officer, Dr Lenos Samhere told members of the joint parliamentary committees on Local Government and Peace and Security last week that they were waiting for the arrival of more machines sourced by Government and Econet.

“We have had challenges with the Covid-19 testing facilities but that is being addressed to minimise delays of screening returnees and those people accessing our border. At the moment we are administering the first line of screening for commercial truck drivers passing through the border. In the case of returnees, we are conducting full PCR tests and so far we are relying on two GeneExpert machines which are testing limited samples,” said Dr Samhere.

“However, we expect the situation to improve when we receive another machine which the Government has already secured. The new machine has the capacity to test at least 93 samples at once.”

Dr Samhere said Econet had donated two machines with a capacity to test 20 people in an hour.

He said one of the machines will be used at the health port within the border and the other one shall be used at the Beitbridge District Hospital to cater for the local community.

Dr Samhere said they were however facing challenges in having testing consumables.

“We are having limited testing commodities coming from Natpharm and this needs to be addressed expeditiously. In terms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), we have supplies to last us for the next two weeks,” said the medical officer.

Dr Samhere said there was also need for the Government to equip the isolation centre at the hospital with requisite accessories.

The isolation centre has the capacity to admit 30 patients and one is admitted presently.

“It is important that we equip the place to offer comprehensive medical care,” he said.