Director General of ADB’s South Asia Region, visited PCR Laboratory at Colombo East Base Hospital

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Director General for South Asia Region, Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama visited the Molecular Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Laboratory established in June 2020 with the assistance of the ADB grant funding Health System Enhancement Project (HSEP) to strengthen Sri Lanka’s health response against COVID-19 at Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) Mulleriyawa on 02^nd October 2021. 

Country Director (ADB) Mr. Chen Chen, Project Director (HSEP) Dr. Anil Dissanayake, Director (CEBH) Dr. Priyantha Karunarathne and Social Development Officer of the ADB Sri Lanka Resident Mission Mr. H.B. Jayasundara  also joined this event along with the PCR Laboratory staff.

ADB Assistance to Enhance Diagnostic Capacity of COVID 19 in Sri Lanka - Establishment of PCR Laboratory at Colombo East Base Hospital

COVID-19 hit Sri Lanka in early 2020, when it became pandemic. Government of Sri Lanka started to prepare to face the spread of the infection through free healthcare services of the country. To improve the nationwide diagnostic capacity of COVID-19, which was the priority at that time, government requested assistance from Development Partners. 

In response that Asian Development Bank (ADB) has immediately reallocated US $ 15 Mn from the ongoing Health System Enhancement Project (US $ 10 Mn Loan and US $ 5 Mn Grant). As per the government decision, it was decided to establish a Central Level PCR laboratory to supplement the COVID 19 diagnostic services of the whole country. 

Due to the global situation, there was a requirement to establish a total laboratory solution at once (including equipment, Reagent, Consumables, IT solution, training and health care waste management) to shorten the procurement procedure and address emergency need of the country. 

With the assistance of the Asian Development Bank Grant funding Health System Enhancement Project and Ministry of Health, a total solution for PCR laboratory with high throughput (500 tests per 12 hours) was established at Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) with all necessary facilities.

A breakdown cost incurred by is as follows; 

There was a facility of the total laboratory solution established to expand the performances up to 2000 tests per 24 hours by increasing human resources and accommodating an additional PCR machine. The Government has been able to utilize this facility and since the inception of the laboratory, the output has been more than 500 tests per 12 hours (statistics attached). The average number of tests performed weekly in 2021 reaches almost 6000 and in 2020 it has been 3150 tests per week. 

This facility caters the emergency requirements of the country in a large scale, and has undertaken to perform diagnostics tests for the sample sent from all over the country. Up to the date laboratory is functioning very well and the principal supplier BGI Health (HK) Company Ltd. has been in touch with the Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) to assist the training and the performance of the laboratory. 

Currently, country is experiencing small number of infected personnel due to the vaccination program and public health measures taken by the Government with the assistance of the Development Partners.

Apart from this, the Asian Development Bank has provided a grant of US $ 3 Mn (Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund) and Regional Technical Assistance of US $ 1 Mn as COVID response for the establishment of new PCR Labs, supply of equipment, consumables, reagents and consumables for the other parts of the country.

PCR Lab Performance from 20th July 2021 to 26th July 2021. Click Here