Joan Mustafa: COVID 19 laboratory materials have been secured; will be restarted

The only (PCR) machine for detecting people infected with the Coronavirus in the north and east regions went out of service, on November 10^th, as a result of a shortage in laboratory materials, and the Health Body in North and East Syria has striven to secure the necessary medical supplies, amid the high chart of the number Coronavirus infections and deaths.

On December 11^th, the health body revealed to ANHA’s agency that there is a shortage of materials necessary to conduct test for the Coronavirus, and confirmed that it is facing difficulty in securing the necessary laboratory materials, and indicated that it is striving with all its potential to secure these materials.

The closure of the Tal Kocher border crossing, linking the regions of north and east Syria and the State of Iraq, greatly affected the living, health and service reality in the region, as medical and relief materials entered the region, and its closure increased the suffering of the people of the region.

The closure of the Tel Kocher border crossing is the only outlet linking the Autonomous Administration regions abroad, but it has been closed since late 2019 with a Russian-Chinese veto.

In a special statement to ANHA’s agency, the co-chair of the Health Body in North and East Syria, Joan Mustafa, confirmed that the body, after vigorous efforts, was able to secure the materials necessary to restart the laboratory for detecting people infected with the Coronavirus, and said: "The Health Body has secured all the materials necessary to operate, the PCR laboratory for detecting people infected with the Coronavirus.

Joan Mustafa confirmed that the PCR laboratory will resume its work as of next Thursday, December 16^th.

T/S

ANHA