Was a preliminary study conducted prior to granting permission for a firm to import Rapid Antigen Test kits?

Colombo (News 1st): A broad discourse regarding the process of importing a stock of rapid Antigen test kits with the intervention of a particular company has arisen in recent days. A number of parties point out that the transaction took place in a way that benefited one party immensely. The Deputy Director of Laboratory Services at the Ministry of Health, Specialist Dr. Saman Ratnayake said that the WHO has decided to donate 200,000 Rapid Antigen test kits and that these have been sampled and validated. Adding further he said that, the samples have been sent to Kandy, IDH and MRI, as well as the Karapitiya Lab and they, will go to the locations where there are patients, where they will verify the validated test samples. He said that, the Ministry of Health will verify the validated test of those samples and that the Ministry is waiting for the Specialists' verification report tomorrow. Quite contradictory to this, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Government Medical Laboratory Technologists - Ravi Kumudesh says, if someone were to say that the Government allows anything approved by the World Health Organization or the American Standards body, they should tell them as to whether that is done all the time. He added saying that such a situation has never arisen in the history of Sri Lanka. "Which goods have been given such permission before? It has not been given before. There is nothing in these regulations that can be given. So we say it is a sham." said the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Government Medical Laboratory Technologists ********** The rapid Antigen test is an antibody test that detects the presence of antibodies in an infected person's body. In addition to PCR testing, the health sector is now considering the possibility of performing antigen testing.