Covid-19 drive-through swabbing centres open

As part of the countrywide efforts to control the Covid-19 outbreak, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) will be operating invitationonly drive-through swabbing hubs at three PHCC health centres from tomorrow. Al Waab, Al Thumama and Leabaib health centres will operate the ‘Covid-19 Drive Through‘ swabbing hubs between 2pm and 10pm initially, and likely to extend the testing hours at a later date, if necessary.

As part of the countrywide efforts to control the Covid-19 outbreak, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) will be operating invitation-only drive-through swabbing hubs at three PHCC health centres from tomorrow.

Al Waab, Al Thumama and Leabaib health centres will operate the ‘Covid-19 Drive Through‘ swabbing hubs between 2pm and 10pm initially, and likely to extend the testing hours at a later date, if necessary.

People have been selected and given priority based on three criteria: those who have been in contact with Covid-19 patients, the elderly as well as those with underlying health issues.

Patients will be contacted by telephone and receive an SMS appointment confirmation from PHCC with a date, time slot and location. They will be required to show their QID to verify their invitation on arrival.

This is not a drop-in service and only those who meet the nationally agreed criteria and have been asked to attend will be given the test.

Those referred to the drive through swabbing hubs are to arrive in their own car and not enter the building. They will be registered and asked a series of questions for verification purposes, then proceed to be swabbed by specially trained health worker.

The swabbing process will involve a cotton bud being inserted into the nose and the sample securely stored and transported to Hamad Medical Corporation C Laboratory for analysis.

Once swabbed, the individuals concerned will receive results from the Ministry of Public Health by phone if positive and by SMS if negative.

Members of the public called for the test because they have been in contact with Covid-19 positive patients or suspected Covid-19 patients advised to self-isolate for 14 days while awaiting the results.

This expansion of PHCC’s already existing testing facilities is a further step to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, but will also increase the early detection of Covid-19 especially among those at higher risk will help target the disease in its early stage, preventing its progression to the severe cases, as well as slowing down community viral spread.

Increasing testing capacity within the community also builds data that will capture virus details allowing for further enhancement in the response to Covid-19.