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NTP Diagnostic Mobile Unit

the aim of the Mobile Unit
Accompanied by laboratory for TB diagnosis
 

The Aim of the mobile unit

NTP Egypt has received a mobile clinic to support outreach activities especially to the slums, deprived zones, high risk population and vulnerable groups (prisons, camps. etc.).
This mobile clinic (from the Global Fund grant) consists of two compartments, one for clinical examination of the patients and the other equipped as a smear examination lab for acid fast bacilli. The lab compartment is provided with fresh water, waste disposal, binocular microscopy and all other necessary supplies.
The mobile unit is provided with a generator as a power supply which is necessary for all equipments on board. These include, beside the lab equipments, air conditioning system supplied with HEPA (High Efficacy Particulate Absorbing) filter for infection control, x-ray light box, ECG machine, nebulizer for inhalation. In addition, the basic equipment for clinical examination e.g. sphygmomanometer, stethoscope and couch are present. This makes of the unit a stand-alone mobile clinic suitable for the purpose, for which it is designed, namely the marginalized populations away of the health services and reaching the high risk groups.
A team of lab technicians is trained to work in the lab compartment, use the facilities available and follow the infection control measures necessary inside the unit. Moreover, this team was trained to use a special staining technique which does not necessitate heating as an adaptation to the workplace.
Another car with digital mass miniature radiography will be available very shortly
NTP Egypt is planning to conduct at least two missions / week (about 100 outreach visits will be organized every year) to the slums and deprived zones, in addition to the prisons, corrective facilities and other risky groups like the refugees

 

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The Mobile Unit Chest Clinic accompanied by laboratory for TB diagnosis

 The mobile unit is designed to contain two compartments one for clinical examination and the other for laboratory for preparation of direct smear microscopy stained by Z –N stain
The unit contain an air condition supplied with a Hippa -filter to sterilize the air in the unit at the end of the day work
All infection control policies and procedures are taken into consideration
The laboratory compartment equipped with a bench and a sink for staining process.
Under the sink there are 3 containers for water supply and liquid waste disposal

All the equipments needed for Z-N stain are supplied by the NTP and the national reference laboratory (NRL) for e.g :

-A prepared stain ( kinyoun cold stain method is used to avoid using a flame in the van for safety measures)
- A binuclear microscope for examination of direct smears stained by Z-N stain
- Screw capped cups for collection of sputum specimens
- Glass slides for smear preparation
- Slides storage boxes for keeping the slides for quality control
-Disinfectants

(a) Alcohol for hands disinfection
(b) Cholor 0.5 % for surface disinfection and 1 % for spills disinfection
(c) Phenol 5% for liquid waste disposal

- Biohazard red bags for collection of biohazard waste
- Approns, masks, gloves and protecting eye glasses are provided for protection of laboratory technicians
- Laboratory register

• Technicians are trained in NRL for preparation, staining and examination of direct smears ( 2 technicians from each governorate ) in order to cover all the governorates in Egypt
• The biohazard waste discarded by incarnation in the near- by incinerator for each governorate visited
• At the end of the day – work the inside walls of the van, the benches and the floors are cleaned by disinfectant
• Each patient diagnosed as TB positive is transferred to the nearest TB district unit to be registered and to begin treatment
• Supervision and quality control will be done.
 

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