The Canarian Health Service, through the General Directorate of Public Health, has authorized a total of 33 private laboratories and companies in the Canary Islands to carry out PCR tests for the diagnosis of Covid-19 while the state of alarm remains in force.
The authorization is carried out according to the Order published on April 30, which regulates the performance of diagnostic tests for coronavirus by means other than the Canarian Health Service, "to guarantee that they comply with the criteria established by the competent health authority." It also determines the criteria and procedure to comply with said requirement.
The Order regulates the mechanism by which centers, services and health establishments of private ownership located in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands declare the means and materials available for the diagnosis of COVID-19, in order to be used by the Canarian Health Service in a coordinated manner with existing diagnostic circuits, in the fight against the epidemic.
The General Directorate of Public Health has received a total of 41 requests as of this Friday, of which it explains that "33 authorizations have already been processed and resolved to different entities that meet the established criteria." Consultations have also been attended to, from entities or companies that want to carry out the tests on personnel who are joining the workforce.
Of the 33 authorizations already processed, 19 in the province of Las Palmas and 14 in that of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, corresponding to different entities, centers, laboratories and clinics in the Canary Islands.
Authorization of diagnostic tests
In order to carry out these tests, the laboratories must have an authorization issued by the General Directorate of Public Health of the SCS, in which it is previously verified that requirements are met, such as that the prescription of the test will always be carried out by a practicing physician and will comply with the criteria and procedures in force by the health authority. The laboratories, in addition to having the necessary means for the diagnostic process validated by the competent national body, must notify the results of the tests carried out daily to the General Directorate of Public Health.
The groups that meet health criteria for carrying out these COVID 19 tests, in these moments of the pandemic, to be carried out by private laboratories are professionals in essential services and public attention, among others.
These groups for prioritizing the performance of diagnostic tests for the detection of Covid19, will be reviewed according to health criteria, depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the de-escalation phase in the community.
