Morocco Deploys Mobile COVID-19 Testing Labs to Rural Areas

Just a few steps away from stage 3 of the Covid-19 pandemic (more than 10,000 confirmed cases), Morocco is mobilizing to detect contact cases or those suspected of being infected with the virus, reports the daily Assabah.

According to the advisor to the Minister of Health, Hafid Zahri, these units, supervised by teams of nurses and technicians, aim to strengthen the mass screening strategy currently adopted. Thus, the first mobile laboratory, equipped by the National Institute of Hygiene in Rabat, has been operational since last Saturday and will be added to the 17 approved laboratories, to increase the Covid-19 screening capacity.

The Ministry of Health plans to increase the number of fixed and mobile laboratories in order to perform as many tests as possible. The goal is to quickly detect contact cases and follow them up.

For health statistics expert Driss Habachi, these mobile laboratories will accelerate the pace of local screening and in remote areas that are likely to be affected by the pandemic. According to him, this initiative will make it possible to accelerate the pace of medical follow-up, tracing of contaminations and anticipation of treatment.

According to the same daily, these mobile laboratories will be added to those already approved, pending the completion of the control and selection operation to accredit private laboratories. The commissioning of the mobile units goes hand in hand with the new plan of the Ministry of Health which aims to carry out 10,000 tests per day, we are told.