British company PrimerDesign Ltd, a subsidiary of Novacyt SA, has delivered another batch of 100,000 PCR tests to Egypt to support its response to COVID-19
28 June – The British Embassy in Egypt, through the work of the UK Department for International Trade hosted a virtual meeting for 30 leading British and Egyptian healthcare companies to discuss their ongoing efforts to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webinar brought together key decision makers from the Egyptian and UK public and private sectors. Four representatives from the Egyptian Ministry of Health were joined by Healthcare UK, Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cleopatra Hospital, Vodafone, GSK, Integrated Diagnostics Holdings, the Saudi German Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, Public Health England, Royal Colleges, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The attendees shared their expertise in dealing with some the challenges that the COVID-19 crisis has created across the world. Representatives from Healthcare UK discussed how they had managed the surge in Covid-19 cases in the UK, including through the rapid conversion of buildings into Nightingale Hospitals, which had expanded capacity by 4,000 beds in just 10 days. They also presented their experience in setting up ‘Lighthouse screening labs’, which were ready in a few weeks and enabled around 200,000 swab samples to be analysed each day. They also shared methods to remotely monitor symptoms and offer treatment to COVID-19 patients.
Representatives from the Ministry of Health briefed on Egypt’s own COVID19 response, while Egyptian medical organisations explained how they are supporting the government’s efforts. The last three months have seen deepened coordination between the two countries to tackle the challenges of the pandemic. Through June and July, the UK will import medical gowns from Egypt, while British company PrimerDesign Ltd, a subsidiary of Novacyt SA, has just delivered another batch of 100,000 PCR tests to Egypt.
British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, said: “I am delighted that the Egyptian and UK public and private sectors are working hard, on a daily basis, to share their expertise and address the immediate medical needs of both countries. This is a challenging task given the current worldwide pressure on scarce resources, but it is encouraging to see that it is already producing practical results.”
* About!
The Department for International Trade (DIT) secures UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade. We are an international economic department, responsible for:
· Bringing together policy, promotion and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment, and help businesses succeed
· Delivering a new trade policy framework for the UK as we leave the EU
· Promoting British trade and investment across the world
· Building the global appetite for British goods and services
