British Ambassador to Peru Anwar Choudhury on Tuesday opened a new mobile tuberculosis (TB) detection lab, set up at Pilcomayo district's health center in Huancayo province.
Donated by the British Embassy, the lab was developed by Alcamilabs, an organization that converts shipping containers into high-quality, biosafe TB laboratories.
The portalab will serve to provide early TB diagnosis, including drug-resistant cases which do not respond favorably to conventional medicines, requiring special medication and immediate treatment upon detection.
The diplomat noted a TB lab does not need to cost a fortune and highlighted the container lab is a portable alternative for a fraction of the cost of traditional, immovable facilities.
The donation will enable immediate detection of drug-resistant TB cases in the Central-Andean region, which until now was available only in Lima, Junin Regional Governor Angel Unchupaico stressed.
"Diagnosis time will be reduced from 2-3 months to just 7 days. This mobile lab will allow us to meet health needs in the region's most remote and vulnerable areas," he pointed out.
On the other hand, Junin Regional Health Director Henry Aguado assured every possible effort is being made to prevent and fight the said disease, including awareness-raising of preventive measures.
The ceremony saw the presence of Congress Chairwoman Luz Salgado, legislator Paloma Noceda, National TB Control and Prevention Coordinator Julia Rios, as well as regional authorities.
(END) PTM/RFA/MAO/DHT/MVB