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Speaking at a working session between representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Health Ministry in Hanoi on March 17, Tac said Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world producing SARS-CoV-2 test kits.

The Military Medical University has cooperated with the Viet A Joint Stock Company to produce tens of thousands of test kits a day at a cost of about 500,000 VND (21.5 USD) for a single test, which includes expenses for relevant materials and equipment.

If the COVID-19 epidemic breaks out, Vietnam is capable of supplying test kits, Tac said, adding that local scientists have made great contributions to the success, which is particularly valuable to disease control.

Among Viet A JSC’s customers, Hanoi has ordered 4,000 test kits for on-site use and to donate to hospitals in Italy – home to one of the largest outbreaks in Europe at present.

Other Vietnamese scientists are also developing test kits for SARS-CoV-2.

Notably, the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) said it is evaluating isothermal amplification test kits developed by the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

This technology uses simple thermal blocks with the cost of under 2 million VND instead of using Real-time PCR machines for testing. It is expected to help save money and human resources in the process of testing.

NIHE is assisting the university in assessing and providing scientific evidence, thus helping the researchers complete their work./.

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