Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe inspected the Public Health Laboratory, the University of Nursing, and Central Medical Storages Depot in Mandalay yesterday.
The Union Minister first visited the Public Health Laboratory where testing of COVID-19, other viruses, and bacteria are conducted.
During the meeting with the laboratory’s officials, Deputy Director of the Public Health Laboratory Department Dr May Wint Wah said the laboratory department was established in 1969, testing viruses and bacteria including Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and measles.
Officials are trying to get the laboratory accredited by World Health Organization (WHO) for measles testing.
The laboratory has been testing COVID-19 samples since 1 June 2020. Fund Raising Committee for Mandalay Urban Development and well-wishers provided assistances including laboratory equipment for COVID-19 sample testing, she added.
She also reported on the conditions of laboratory, staff, and other requirements.
Deputy Director-General (Laboratory) Prof Dr Htay Htay Tin says the Mandalay laboratory is now testing COVID-19 samples from Mandalay and Sagaing regions and northern Shan State and also preparing for testing COVID-19 samples from Kachin and Chin states.
She added that COVID-19 testing in Taunggyi will be carried out, with the donation from Wai Aung Kabar Gem Company, at the Public Health Laboratory Department (Taunggyi) starting from early July.
U Kyaw Kyaw Win from Fund Raising Committee for Mandalay Urban Development says a new two-storey building at the Mandalay Public Health Laboratory was being constructed with the use of K 800 million from the committee’s fund. The Union Minister expressed thanks to the officials, staff and donors for their efforts and contributions.
He added that upgrading laboratories is very helpful not only for COVID-19 but also for other public health problems, will enhance public health producers, and are beneficial for medical treatment processes by testing with more accuracy.
More capacity-building trainings for laboratory experts, refresher courses for them, and more laboratory research will also be conducted, he added.
He continued that there are the ministry’s funds for conducting researches and then coordinated over requirements.
He also inspected the place where the laboratory’s two-storey building will be constructed.
The Union Minister, accompanied by Director-General of Public Health and Medical Services Department Dr Soe Oo, Deputy Director-General (Academic) Dr Tin Tun, Mandalay Region Public Health and Medical Services Department’s head Dr Than Than Myint and officials, went to the University of Nursing (Mandalay), and met the university’s rector and lecturers.
Rector Professor Dr Khin Win Sein of the University of Nursing, Mandalay, reported on the university’s brief background, staff population, lecture buildings, students’ hostels, library, and other buildings matters.
She detailed the teaching and learning processes, formation of the departments, formation of new departments, conducting eight kinds of nursing diploma courses, and opening two new nursing diploma courses.
An IRB was formed in 2017, conducting researches, and arrangements for the tasks that will be implemented when the university are open were also discussed.
The Union Minister expressed thanks to the university’s rector, lecturers, and officials for their efforts for the university’s all-round development.
He adds that developments of nursing and midwifery are the ministry’s priority.
The curriculum that is used at the universities at present is a world-standard one and drawn in cooperation with WHO. If it is needed to be refreshed, the chapters that will be in line with our country will be added, he further said.
The ministry allocated K6, 000 million from research funds from 2016 to 2019-2020FY, and planned to allocate K 3,000 million for 2020-2021FY.
He urged the nurses to conduct more researches and attend capacity building training on research.
In this FY, the ministry will provide teaching aids and other materials for universities after allocating more budgets for Department of Human Resources for Health.
He also urged the officials from nursing universities in Yangon and Mandalay and midwifery schools to organize regular meetings via videoconference, and use modern information and communications technologies (ICT). Department of Human Resources for Health’s Deputy Director-General (Academic) Dr Tin Tun, Director (Nursing) Daw Htay Htay Hlaing, and the university’s lecturers discussed the university’s all-round developments.
In the evening, the Union Minister, accompanied by Deputy Director-General Dr Win Naing and officials, visited Central Medical Stores Depots (Mandalay), and inspected the storages of medicines and medical equipment.
He instructed the officials to systematically store and distribute the medicines and medical equipment and coordinated over the requirements.—MNA
(Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)
