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Health

Covid-19: material donations to Angola represent 10 percent of biosafety investment

The Minister of Health said this Sunday that the state has invested about 43 billion kwanzas in biosafety materials, including 544 tons purchased from China, with donations of less than 50 tons.

: Lusa
Lusa  

"The donations are less than 10 percent of what the state has acquired, they do not reach 50 tons," Silvia Lutucuta said at a press conference in Luanda where she made the daily epidemiological assessment of covid-19.

The minister, who reacted angrily to a journalist's question about suspected corruption related to the acquisition of biosecurity materials, assured that the "most competitive markets" and the best prices were sought.

She said that "we have been looking for more competitive markets and therefore we have gone to China to buy many of these," she said, saying she felt "offended" and that the members of the inter-ministerial committee to prevent and combat covid-19 would also feel that way.

"We are working every day for the homeland, without hours of rest because we feel the responsibility to save lives," he stressed.

"I am very sorry to answer this question, because we are on this crusade of the fight against corruption and making an effort to make the best use of public resources. I want to make sure that the savings have been huge and we are here to report the truth," replied Silvia Lutucuta.

The minister also said that TAAG aircraft have been used to pick up the goods, after the government terminated the contract with Ethiopian Airlines, whose flights were being used to transport foreign entities, and the cargo was confiscated.

The head of Health announced, on the other hand, that later this week serological tests will begin, already validated by several international organizations as a means of rapid diagnosis that serves only for screening and that will increase the testing capacity of Angola, "but does not give a definitive diagnosis.

The test, he added, will be applied to screenings in "very well defined" populations.

Silvia Lutucuta said that the Ministry of Health has been doing "a thorough work of accrediting public and private units in relation to testing", and now has six centres to which more laboratories will soon be added.

He explained that these are not yet in operation "because the equipment available requires reagents that are not very easy to find on the international market.

The Health portfolio holder warned about the rapid tests being carried out at the Meditex Clinic, which is not authorised to carry out the test, and stressed that this type of test is not validated in the country.

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