The Ministry of Health is looking to enhance its testing capacity for Monkeypox as several laboratory technicians from each of the ten administrative regions will receive training.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared Monkeypox a public health emergency with some 16,000 cases detected in 75 countries across the globe.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony on Wednesday said training would be conducted by a staff from the National Public Health Reference Lab who received training from the PAHO/WHO in Jamaica.
“So she brings to Guyana that experience of how to do these testing and what are the protocols that we should be observing,” Dr. Anthony stated.
Training will include identifying and diagnosing the Monkeypox virus.
According to Minister Anthony, when the Monkeypox virus is diagnosed, the laboratory technicians will then take samples for PCR testing to confirm its presence.
At least three to four persons identified from the 10 administrative regions will receive the training which is slated to commence on Thursday.
“It’s not a very long and complicated programme because most of the persons who will be trained already, they would have been working in the fields so it’s just giving them some very specific pointers as it relates to Monkeypox,” Minister Anthony asserted.
Jamaica and Barbados have confirmed Monkeypox cases in the Caribbean region.
