COVID-19 : Mobile Testing to begin nationwide

Mobile teams from Cameroon’s  Public Health Ministry will begin free massive screening for COVID -19, on July 28 across the national territory.

The campaign, dubbed
” Mobile Testing “, is designed to flatten the curve of the pandemic in Cameroon, within the next one month .

What is Mobile Testing ?

According to Dr. Blaise Akenji, Clinical Biologist, “Mobile Screening is a strategy where we create easy displaceable teams of health personnel who are ready to sensitize the population, do counseling and collect samples on the spot. It will help us to easily identify, track and give patients treatment in order to break the chain of transmission. “.

Mobile Testing is also intended to bring testing closer to communities. People who have not be screened at the fixed screening centres will have the screening services at their door steps. This also means reaching out to skeptics with credible information about the disease.

The mobile teams will target markets, Universities, parks, enterprises, churches and other populated public places.

People who are screened for the Coronavirus will be able to get their results within 72 hours after screening. The results will be essentially communicated to people by SMS , but people who do not receive their results within this time frame could obtain results from the closest fixed screening centres.

‘Sensitize Sensitize Sensitize ‘

The Coronavirus scare has caused many a Cameroonian to shy away from testing. Others are simply critical of the exercise, but Dr. Blaise says thoroughly educated people is the only solution to overcome the reticence.

” Convincing person to get tested means you have to give them the right information. We have employed town criers, and we are using the media and social media to educate people. Our aim is to sensitize! sensitize!sensitize!. If we sensitize people correctly, it will convince them to be tested to know their status, and also protect themselves and their loved ones”.

A weekly program will be also be communicated to encourage people to adhere to the initiative.  Those who test positive will be quickly admitted to the screening centres for immediate treatment .

Kathy Neba Sina 

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