A government agency has developed a Covid-19 RNA extraction kit and donated 82,000 units worth 8.2 million baht to medical officers to ease their burden.
The National Omics Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) said it provided the kits, which assist with nasal/throat swabs, to the Disease Control Department, Department of Medical Sciences and Department of Corrections.
Anek Laothamatas, the minister of higher education, science, research and innovation, said the ministry has united researchers from research centres and institutions around the country and set up field hospitals and vaccination points nationwide as part of the effort.
The ministry has also been making house calls to Covid-19 patients who are self-isolating to provide assistance and deliver treatment packages, he said.
The newly developed RNA extraction kit is as effective as imported versions but only costs half as much to produce.
Also, the research will be circulated to the private sector for commercial use.
NSTDA president Narong Sirilertworakul said the agency aims to maximise its research to foster its competitive capability.
So far as part of its work, it has developed over 20 forms of research in such areas as reducing transmission, disinfection, and screening for disease.
Many of these are compatible with current production technology to facilitate business operations as the country reopens, he said.
The NSTDA received funding from emergency government loans to speed up the development of the kit and control the surging number of infections.
NSTDA director Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang said researchers at the centre working with peers from Mahidol University and the Department of Medical Sciences discovered a new RNA extraction method last year that uses a magnetic bead to extract Covid-19 for RT-PCR analysis.
The method has since been modified to make it compatible with a general extraction machine.
The director said this method can be safely used with various chemicals and tools in genetics laboratories, and that the kits have been tested using samples from the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University and the Medical Sciences Department.
The tests showed them to be as effective at detecting Covid as imported kits.
Meanwhile, the minister said a newly launched programme is helping to reduce unemployment among people living in the provinces.
It aims to find work for a total of 150,000 jobseekers, he added.