ISLAMABAD, Dec 01 (APP): The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was apprised on Tuesday that based on recommendations as per the World Health Organization (WHO) and other reputed guidelines, a national policy was framed to initiate Rapid Antigen Testing to detect Coronavirus through swift method; under strict control.
Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Major General Dr Aamir Ikram briefed the Forum that all the provinces were taken on board to devise a unified strategy to hold Antigen Testing as per the international standards.
The Forum was told that initially all government authorised public sector laboratories could perform the Antigen tests for the specified categories.
However, testing by the private labs would be at the discretion of provincial authorities but only those labs would be allowed which were already performing PCR, endorsing data in the provincial/national hub and officially authorized for antigen testing by provincial or regional authorities.
The provincial representatives informed the Forum about NIH deliberations for opting Rapid Antigen testing and also mentioned that necessary arrangements were being made to hold Antigen testing in all major hospitals.
