Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury on Sunday thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for creating scope for conducting the performance study of the Covid-19 rapid testing kits developed by their organisation.“I thank you (PM) as we finally got the permission to get tested the performance of our kits following your interference,” he said.
Dr Zafrullah came up with the comment while speaking at a discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) arranged by Nagorik Oikya.
He said five scientists of the Gonoshasthaya Kendra devolved such an easy testing system which can be conducted even at community hospitals at every union. “Any doctor can test the coronavirus sitting at their chambers using our system.”
Zafrullah said they have already urged the Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) to complete their study neutrally as soon as possible. “We know our kits will get the positive results from the BSMMU test as we developed it in such a way.”
He claimed that many countries are willing to conduct the performance test of their kits. “But it’s a matter of prestige to give it to other countries for the test before my country does it. As a freedom fighter, I want my country to test it first.”
Earlier on Saturday, the BSMMU authorities formed a six-member committee to conduct the performance study of the Covid-19 rapid testing kits developed by Gonoshasthaya Kendra.
The committee was formed headed by Virology Department’s former chairman Prof Shahina Tabassum.
On Thursday, Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) gave Gonoshasthaya permission to get its Covid-19 rapid testing kits tested.
The DGDA informed Gonoshasthaya that the performance study of the kits could be done either at the BSMMU or IEDCR.
On April 25, Gonoshasthaya Kendra authorities handed over their testing kits to the BSMMU and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the final approval.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra has developed the “easy, effective and cheap” method to test coronavirus or Covid-19.
Gonoshasthaya-RNA Biotech Limited, a sister concern of Gonoshasthaya, with the help of experts from Singapore developed the method named ‘Gonoshasthaya Rapid Dot Blot.
On March 17, Gonoshasthaya Kendra declared that they had developed a testing kit that can examine samples to detect Covid-19 within 15 minutes. – UNB
