MRI gets fully-automated PCR machine to fast-track COVID-19 testing

The International Rotary Club has donated a fully-automated PCR machine to the Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka to expedite the diagnosis process of COVID-19, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement yesterday. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was briefed about the operational aspect of the new PCR machine at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday.

“The value of the new instrument is over Rs. 22.2 million. It is significant that this new machine will help to mitigate human resource shortage in conducting medical testing. Doctors say that the new machine ensures high speed, high accuracy and efficiency. It has the ability to identify different kinds of viruses that may emerge in the future, as well,” the statement added. 

The Rotary Club has donated over Rs. 120 million to provide medical research equipment and facilities to combat COVID-19 pandemic. President Rajapaksa expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the Rotary Club for their donation.

Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, Ministry of Health Secretary Major General (Retired) Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Medical Research Institute Sri Lanka Director Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, Rotary District Governor for Sri Lanka and Maldives Sebastian Karunakaran, former Chairman K. R. Ravindran, Proposed Chairman Pubudu De Zoysa and representatives of the Rotary Club were present on this occasion.