Tanzania’s COVID-19 testing laboratory faulty

DAR ES SALAAM — Investigations into Tanzania’s national health laboratory show several shortcomings, including a faulty machine for testing samples of COVID-19, a senior official said on Saturday.

The management of the national health laboratory housed in the National Institute of Medical Research headquartered in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam did not repair a faulty machine, Ummy Mwalimu, the Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children minister, said in a statement.

Mwalimu made the revelation when she announced investigation results released by a 10-member team she had appointed on May 4 to probe the collection of COVID-19 samples at the laboratory, said the statement.

She said other shortcomings identified by the probe team included lack of technical supervision for testing of COVID-19 samples, poor quality assurance of results and poor storage of tested samples for COVID-19.