The Minister of Health of Mozambique, Armindo Tiago, inaugurated on Saturday, December 19, the first provincial Covid-19 testing laboratory using the RT-PCR method at Tete Hospital. With Vale in Mozambique funding, the laboratory unit of the provincial hospital in Tete benefited from the resourcing, provision of equipment, consumables, reagents and staff training.
It is an important investment that responds to the technical needs of the province for the collection and testing of samples for the diagnosis of COVID-19.
During the inauguration ceremony of the laboratory unit, the Minister of Health, Armindo Daniel Tiago, declared that with the opening of testing services in Tete, an important step is taken towards the decentralization of COVID-19 tests in the country. 'This monumental achievement was only made possible thanks to proper coordination and the support of Vale in Mozambique, which donated equipment for the assembly of a complete COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory. This donation also includes sample collection material and reagents to perform five thousand COVID-19 tests in our Province. The installation of this testing laboratory will immediately impact the response time for the diagnosis of positive cases, as it will no longer be necessary to send samples to Maputo.', stressed the Minister of Health.
The new laboratory at Hospital de Tete has the capacity to process 300 samples per day. It is equipped with machines and work booths, accessories and kits for complete Covid-19 tests and protective material for health professionals who collect and perform the analysis of the new coronavirus.
Given the importance of Vale in Mozambique's investment at the provincial level, the Secretary of State for the Province of Tete, Elisa Zacarias, who was also present at the event, welcomed the support provided by the company. 'We thank Vale in Mozambique, our partner in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed us to acquire the equipment that made it possible to install the laboratory that is now operating.', said the official.
Additionally, the Deputy Director General of the National Health Institute, Eduardo Samo Gudo, stated that 'the technology installed in the laboratory is the same as that is installed in the reference laboratory at the headquarters of the National Health Institute in Marracuene.'
For Vale in Mozambique's representative, Delmira Petersburgo, 'this action is part of the company's efforts in the implementation of measures to prevent and combat Covid-19.'Since last April, Vale has made available to the provinces of Tete, Niassa, Nampula and Maputo several hospital materials, including personal protective equipment (PPE) for health professionals, 40 thousand rapid test kits for the Sero-epidemiological Survey and drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 cases. Particularly in Tete, the company also provided support for hygiene and public communication to prevent coronavirus and increased its social projects.
Aware of the importance of supporting Mozambique at such a critical time, Vale's assistance aims to contribute to the efforts of national health authorities to combat the spread of the disease, demonstrating its commitment to Mozambique.
VALE S.A. 
