Credence launches COVID Diagnostics Centre

Credence CDC President Dr. Sarath Paranavitane and Credence Genomics CEO Dr. Vaz Gnanam 

Credence Genomics, trail blazers in the area of genome diagnostics, has launched the COVID Diagnostics Centre to cater for the needs of COVID RT-qPCR testing in Sri Lanka. 

The COVID Diagnostics Centre is a diagnostic grade facility with the capacity to deliver over 6,000 tests, a four-hour reporting time and a lab time of 70 minutes. 

Credence CDC President Dr. Sarath Paranavitane, an industry veteran who has been involved in many important local and international healthcare projects that cater to high quality testing and patient care, will be heading the Centre. 

“The vision behind the COVID Diagnostics Centre (CDC) is to serve the need for rapid high quality PCR testing where a patient can conduct the gold standard qPCR test within three hours based on enhanced technology investments. The unit uses robotic magnetic bead extractors from Pentabase Denmark, a leader in RNA extraction and qPCR. The units are used in major airports, and health institutions including Sri Lanka’s BIA lab which conducted 10,000 tests on this platform recently,” said Dr. Paranavitane.

Credence CDC also uses diagnostic grade approved RT-qPCR machines from leading suppliers in a purpose-built facility designed specifically to prevent contamination, while a team of award-winning Sri Lankan scientists with global delivery experience is behind every single test. The facility follows strict decontamination and fogging protocols ensuring the integrity of the unit and in turn each sample. 

“Each sample is registered online, and sample integrity is checked through multiple quality control parameters, while Credence only works with collectors who are evaluated and certified by a consultant microbiologist or virologist.”

Dr. Paranavitane went on to say that the COVID Diagnostic Centre has been conceived to respond to the national need for high quality, rapid, and precise PCR testing. An early test result will enable the Sri Lankan workforce to take prompt action in keeping with the Government guidelines which in turn will help the workforce to return to work early and ensure smooth functioning of the organisation.

“A test of this speed, accuracy and cost effectiveness will reduce the government burden by encouraging early home isolation and also curtail spread of COVID-19.”

The uniqueness of the Credence lab versus other facilities includes the fact that it is the only facility that could perform 6,000 tests per day and give a report in four hours, the entire process from collection point to generation of a report can be viewed online via access given from a dedicated portal; all tests are done on a diagnostic platform as opposed to a research platform with no pooling of samples. 

The process is automated with minimal human interaction thereby ensuring 100% accuracy. Every report carries the CT value in compliance with WHO and CDC guidelines, while the team of collectors are trained and certified by a consultant microbiologist and consultant physician (Dr. Paranavitane) on an ongoing basis, with weekly reviews.

“Collection of samples as you are aware is the first most important step in this process of PCR testing as if this is not done properly, the subsequent steps leading to report generation becomes a futile exercise,” said Dr. Paranavitane.

Credence Genomics CEO Dr. Vaz Gnanam said: “The COVID Diagnostic Centre is an amalgamation of scientists, healthcare professionals, and the most advanced technology along with data systems and processes under the exemplary leadership of Dr. Sarath Paranavitane in response to the national crisis caused by COVID. Credence Genomics considers it a privilege to serve our nation at this time of crisis.”

Dr. Vaz Gnanam further said that Credence Genomics was honoured to join hands with the Central Medical Centre Ltd. at Kohuwala – a longstanding and reputed family practice of Dr. Sarath Paranavitane’s to take forward the concept of next generation sequencing in cancer management at both primary and secondary healthcare levels

Credence Genomics Ltd. is Sri Lanka’s first and foremost clinical genomics laboratory to provide high throughput, high quality next generation sequencing services. Credence Genomics services both international and local genetic testing markets by exporting high quality testing services and products. 

A long-term collaboration with Apollo Hospitals in India has seen Credence’s unique infectious disease Bactfast and Fungifast being used across the board at arguably the largest South Asian healthcare services provider. Credence Genomics has forged many partnerships globally and delivers their oncology and fertility range apart from the award-winning dxn1 – infectious disease range.