One-stop digital COVID-19 test booth handed over to DGHS

Digital Healthcare Solutions (DH) along with the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi) and Mugda Medical College Hospital (MuMCH) had jointly launched the country’s first one-stop digital booth for COVID-19 screening and testing, back in June. After 4 months of successful operation, the booth has been handed over to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), on September 30th.

The booth is a unique success story as it has conducted more than 8000 tests free of cost and provided the reports within 24-48 hours by email, SMS or printed copies.

Inaugurated by Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, and chairman of Mugda General Hospital Management Committee through a video conference, the initiative  was taken under a multi-partner consortium, led by Concern Worldwide, who is implementing the Essential Healthcare for the Disadvantaged (EHD) in Bangladesh Programme, funded by UK Aid under the guidance of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The booth was built using design guidelines developed by the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), who have adapted successful designs from Korea and other countries for the Bangladeshi context to ensure quality and safety of both the patients and medical technologists.

In order to maintain efficiency and ensure optimal usage of resources , patients were first required to undergo a video-consultation with a physician and then only the ones with symptoms of COVID-19 could proceed forward to the nearby DH sample collection booth to get tested.

To prevent the spread of infection from the patients, the entire process of conducting the test was done with proper infection control precautions such as using full PPE, maintaining social-distancing while waiting in queue and disinfecting the waiting area at regular intervals.

While Mugda Medical College Hospital provided operational support, ideSHi conducted the laboratory testing of the COVID-19 samples.

Nevertheless, with fears and suspicion about future increase of the infection rate in winter, DH remains open in continuing its efforts to fight against COVID-19 through collaboration and partnership with government, relevant health organizations and donors.

Mr. Sajid Rahman, CEO of Digital Healthcare Solutions, said, “We aim to serve the millions of people of Bangladesh with quality digital healthcare services. Through our efforts, we hope to continue working on such projects in the future that will have positive impacts on the lives of the people of Bangladesh.”

People can visit dh.health to know more about DH’s work,