INTEGRATED health supplement company Bioalpha Holdings Bhd has shared that following delivery of its maiden batch of COVID-19 screening equipment and products to South Sudan, mandatory screening exercise for travellers arriving at the country’s Juba International Airport has commenced.
On July 28, Bioalpha had inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Crawford Laboratory Ltd in the country to exclusively undertake COVID-19 screening services at two locations, namely the Juba International Airport and the Nimule border crossing.
Under the MoA, Bioalpha and Crawford shall collaborate to establish COVID-19 screening facilities at selected sites with Bioalpha to supply the COVID-19 screening equipment and products as well as the transfer of technical know-how.
The products include the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits and the rapid test kit (RTK) which are priced at US$20 for locals and US$50 for foreigners.
“We are delighted to update that we are already seeing contribution from our venture in South Sudan pursuant to our first shipment of 100,000 COVID-19 RTK and PCR test kits to the country in September,” commented Bioalpha’s managing director William Hon.
“Following authorisation from South Sudan’s Health Ministry, our partner Crawford has started the COVID-19 screening services using our solutions exclusively at the Juba International Airport.
“Soon, the screening services will be extended to the second entry point, the Nimule border crossing. With the successful delivery of the maiden batch, we are now making preparations for the second shipment of the test kits to South Sudan.”
All inbound travellers into South Sudan are required to be screened upon arrival with the ability to process the test results quickly being key to contain the virus spread.
The COVID-19 PCR test kits supplied by Bioalpha is able to produce results within 40 minutes as compared to the standard waiting time of up to 48 hours.
“Furthermore, the COVID-19 screening solutions are fully integrated with the EACPass (East African Community Pass) which verify and consolidate the health status of travellers in the EAC nations,” Hon pointed out. “This allows for the safe resumption of cross-border travels within the EAC region.”
At the same time, Bioalpha is also in talks with the EAC Secretariat to replicate the services to five other EAC countries, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda.
At 4.11pm, Bioalpha was unchanged at 20 sen with 125,300 shares traded, thus valuing the company at RM237 mil. – Nov 17, 2021
