BY James Kon

Borneo Genomics Innovation Sdn Bhd (BGI Brunei) donated PCR test kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to enhance surveillance and detection of monkeypox in the Sultanate on Wednesday.

BGI Brunei Director of Molecular Laboratory Dr Haji Osmali bin Haji Osman handed over the contribution to Permanent Secretary at the MoH Haji Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin.

The donation aims to enable the Department of Laboratory Services to carry out tests on suspected monkeypox infection cases.

The tests use PCR technology and can only be performed in the laboratory available to the MoH.

The donation comprised two BGI Brunei monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kits with a capacity of up to 100 tests.

As of June 15, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,103 laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox, including one death, have been reported in 42 countries. Of these, 98 per cent have been reported since May 2022.

Also in attendance at the handover was Director of Laboratory Services at the MoH Dr Hajah Surita binti Haji Mohd Taib.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin