Chipata Central Hospital has started conducting DNA accurate HIV testing.
This is a type of testing of the HIV virus much earlier, usually around seven to ten days after exposure to HIV infection, than the standard test, where the HIV virus is detected in a human body after months from the infection date.
Chipata Central Hospital Medical Superintendent, Daniel Makawa, confirmed this to Breeze News.
Dr. Makawa says this is because a molecular lab, which is used to detect the HIV virus, has started working.
He says the molecular Lab was installed three years ago, but was non-functional due to low electricity voltage.
Dr. Makwa added that the hospital procured voltage stabilisers and transformers, which has made the molecular lab to be functional without being disturbed.
He says the molecular lab is assisting the hospital in having early detection of HIV even in children.
And Dr, Makwasa says workforce has improved to 402 health personnel’s from the time the hospital was elevated to third level early this year.
He says the health personnel include specialized doctors that attend to complicated conditions such as trauma, a disorder in the human bones, which has been one of the biggest surgical burdens to manage at the Hospital.
Dr. Makawa says the hospital used to refer people with bone fractures to St. Francis Mission Hospital in Katete and hiring surgeons from Lusaka.
He says the hospital is now able to buy implants for managing bone fractures with the help of specialised doctors.
The hospital has improved internship training from 12 to 15 doctors each year that are specialized in attending to complicated conditions.