The Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) will upscale its testing capacity through automated testing platforms and decentralisation that will see the institution testing up to 327 samples a day. This will see an increase of 192 tests per day as from 8 June. NIP’s current testing capacity per day stands at 164 tests at the Windhoek Central Reference Laboratory (WCRL).
NIP corporate affairs manager Johannes Klemens stated they have automated platforms at Katima Mulilo, Keetmanshoop and Oshakati. “Performance of the instruments is currently being verified by engineers before testing can commence. We anticipate that engineers will be finished with setting up and verification by 5 June 2020,” he said.
He added the Katima Mulilo testing capacity per day is 40, Keetmanshoop (80), while Oshakati tests 96 samples per day. Klemens added the aggregate testing capacity of these laboratories will stand at 216 test per day, which will bring NIPs overall testing capacity to 543 tests per day by mid-June. Klemens stated as of 27 May 2020, they tested 2 513 samples, which include positives and retesting of positive patients. Of the 22 confirmed cases in the country, 15 tested positive at NIP, six from PathCare and one from South African laboratory.