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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) services in Dhulikhel Hospital
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory diagnostic and confirmatory method which is used to "amplify" small segments of DNA. It is also named as "molecular photocopying” and regarded as the fast and economical diagnostic procedure to amplify the segments of DNA. This is almost the only DNA amplification technique to study the isolated pieces of DNA in molecular and genetic analyses.
PCR in Dhulikhel Hospital:
Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital (DH-KUH) is an independent, not for profit, non-governmental community hospital that has been providing affordable, compassionate health care services to the poor and needy ones. DH-KUH is also a tertiary care health institution in the country and as such also takes in a significant number of referral cases from other hospitals that do not have the possibility to treat various ailments. Moreover, DH-KUH has been one of the leading organizations to provide the humanitarian aid services. With the support of the NepaliMed Luxemburg, DH has been successful to start PCR diagnostic and confirmatory service through its microbiology laboratory, contributing in providing quality health services.
DHKUH has been a pioneer to start the PCR confirmatory test of tuberculosis throughout Nepal. This is the only hospital to do the PCR test of the tuberculosis and has been receiving the samples to test from different tertiary level hospitals and other government and non-government hospital throughout Nepal. This has supported to inhibit the mortality due to the underdiagnosed Tuberculosis; by timely diagnosis, confirmation and treatment of the tuberculosis patients. Thus, PCR test of tuberculosis in DHKUH has taken the crucial place in the health system of Nepal to provide timely treatment to the TB patient. The other PCR tests being done in Nepal are Chlamydia and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) tests. After the few costly private laboratories in Nepal, DHKUH laboratory can be considered the foremost laboratory for the Chlamydia and HPV PCR test for the confirmation. As DHKUH has been providing community level health services, the lab at DH has tested HPV of more than 2000 unreached women from the outreach centers. Cervical Carcinoma being one of the major causes of death of women in Nepal, this test has helped to prevent the deaths and other complication due to HPV. The timely diagnosis, confirmation and treatment of the women with appropriate referral have been significant segment to prevent mortality and disability of the women due to HPV.
Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) of Government has declared DHKUH as a hub hospital for the emergency health services and also one of the major hospitals to test the COVID samples in Nepal. After government laboratory i.e National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), the molecular lab at DHKUH has been regarded as one the laboratory performing highest number of nationwide test so far, both in terms of quantity and quality. As of 24 May 2020, 9:00 am, the total numbers of confirmed COVID cases are 584 and 3 deaths due to COVID. Among the 3 deaths, DHKUH had reported the first death due to COVID in Nepal. The availability of PCR at DHKUH has resulted to quick report of the first COVID death in Nepal, which resulted in speed tracking of all the contacts and thus could prevent further infection spread by the infected deceases. Beside the samples collected from the patient/cases of the hospital, the hospital as declared by MoHP of Nepal, DHKUH also need to run the nationwide samples referred by NPHL. Thus, till 24 May 2020, as per the record of the Medical recorder of DHKUH, following is the details of the cases and the test being done in DHKUH:
DHKUH would like to acknowledge the great support from the NepaliMed Luxemburg to create a milestone in DHKUH and all over Nepal through the establishment of molecular laboratory with the efficient PCR services. This has helped in providing quality diagnostic services throughout Nepal irrespective of the socio economic status of the people. DHKUH has planned to expand the confirmatory PCR services to another level considering quality health services to all the reached and unreached population of Nepal. The further support to extend the PCR services will definitely help to create other icebreaking steps in terms of confirmatory tests in Nepal, covering the rural population of Nepal through its outreach centers located in various remote areas of Nepal.
Acronyms
PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction
DHKUH Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital
HPV Human Papilloma Virus
RDT Rapid Diagnostic Test
MoHP Ministry of Health and Population
NPHL National Public Health Laboratory at Teku (Katmandu)
Corona-virus also in Nepal. Report from Dhulikhel Hospital.
As you can see in the following report from Dhulikhel Hospital, the laboratory is overloaded with the only PCR device purchased from NepaliMed Luxembourg. For this reason, we have bought a second equipment with accessories for a total of 32 520 euros.