KGH can now test 1,600 COVID-19 samples daily

New equipment at Kelowna General Hospital has nearly doubled its ability to process COVID-19 tests.

A Panther Fusion, which allows for molecular analysis of samples, was installed at KGH and Royal Inland

Hospital in Kamloops.

“The new machines have increased Interior Health’s ability to process samples from about 900 in a day to over 1,600, ensuring timely results even in a surge event,” an IH news release states.

To accommodate the machine, a KGH lab had to be increased by 1,200 square feet.

A project like this, IH says, normally takes nine months. But it was done in nine weeks.

Those involved in the project included lab managers, infection prevention and control experts, and medical microbiologists.

“There was a big effort that went into increasing our capacity to test COVID-19 samples and making sure our communities stay safe,” said Hope Byrne, IH director of lab operations for the Okanagan.

In one week in early December, just under 8,000 people across the Interior Health region were tested for COVID-19.

Hologic A ‘Panther Fusion’ molecular testing machine has been installed at Kelowna General Hospital that nearly doubles the capacity to analyze samples for COVID-19.