Home | News & Events | U.S. Donates BioFire COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Machine to Ministry of Health Chargé d Affaires Usha Pitts dons personal protective equipment as she tours the microbiology laboratory at Princess Margaret Hospital.
On March 9, 2021 U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Usha E. Pitts participated in the official handing-over ceremony of the BioFire FilmArray Torch infectious disease diagnostic machine. Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, the largest public health facility in The Bahamas, has installed the BioFire machine in its laboratory to aid in combating the spread of COVID-19.
The BioFire (valued at around $80,000 USD) can provide a PCR test result the most accurate test for COVID-19 in about one hour, and can also diagnose other lower respiratory tract infections, making it a valuable asset in disease prevention and pandemic response in The Bahamas for years to come.