Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Special Committee on Covid-19 Response
Covid-19: Testing and Tracing
Mr. Damien McCallion:
They would be. I understand more than 40 hospitals are carrying out testing. It is not simply a case of doctors and nurses doing the tests. Laboratory services and all of the other necessary elements are required. The test involves relatively complex PCR testing. A number of things have to be in place in order to undertake tests. I am not sure if the Deputy has a query about a particular hospital that we could follow up on. In general, the process involves the scientists Dr. De Gascun has referred to, all of the equipment, which can be quite expensive, the reagent, IT systems, etc. If some hospitals are not testing it is because those things are not in place. They will be clearly aligned to a larger hospital or a hospital close to them. Most geographical areas are covered.
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