Coronavirus: High-tech Covid-19 testing centre opens in Mussaffah

New centre offers contactless testing to protect medical staff from infection

A new coronavirus testing centre opens in Mussaffah. Wam

A high-tech coronavirus screening centre has opened in Abu Dhabi's industrial area.

The centre is the third built by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, or Seha, in Mussaffah to support the National Screening Project.

The project aims to test 335,000 residents and workers in the area over the next two weeks.

Covering 3,500 square metres, the centre will increase Abu Dhabi's daily screening capacity by 80 per cent, the state news agency Wam reported.

It is fully air-conditioned to provide comfort to staff and patients as temperatures rise, and allows staff to conduct registration, triage and swabbing without contact with the person being tested.

Seha nurses will collect swabs from inside fully sealed cabins to reduce infection transmission.

The centre adds to the National Screening Centre in M42 and another in M1 at the old Mussaffah clinic.

Collectively they can test 7,500 visitors each day.

The project will also be supported by two more centres managed by Burjeel Hospital in M12, next to Al Masood, and Capital Health Screening Centre in M12 in the Al Mazrouei building.

Each will have a capacity for 3,500 visitors a day.

"The Government of Abu Dhabi is coming together to support the healthcare sector and make sure that each and every resident of the UAE has easy access to a safe screening facility," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, chairman of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi.

"This will swiftly help identify confirmed cases, which is critical to lessen the transmission of Covid-19.

"Expanding testing and ensuring healthcare services are easily available is a key part of our strategy to combat the current public health challenge."

The initiative also ensures that people have access to trained medical teams and volunteers who speak a variety of languages.

The Department of Economic Development has encouraged the private sector to ensure all the employees are tested.

The Department of Municipalities and Transport will be providing free public transport to and from the screening centres.