His Excellency Théo Ngwabidje Kasi, Governor of South Kivu Province, inaugurated this March 17, 2020 at the Catholic University of Bukavu André Lurhuma Campus, the provincial Laboratory for the diagnosis of Coronavirus disease.

In the left wing of the Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Catholic University of Bukavu, a team of experts from the National Biomedical Research Institute (INRB) installed the equipment for the diagnosis of Covid-19 in South Kivu Province. This laboratory is the result of the partnership signed between the Catholic University of Bukavu and the Provincial Ministry of Health. Having agreed to work jointly according to their respective values, the Catholic University of Bukavu accepted to provide a space inside its Molecular Biology Laboratory installed within the main building of Dr. André Lurhuma campus located at Karhale, in addition to logistics and human resources. The Provincial Ministry of South Kivu, in addition to providing remuneration to experts, has undertaken to manage the laboratory and provide the necessary assistance to achieve the objectives assigned to them.

After a short visit of the laboratory facilities, the Governor addressed the press, emphasizing on the benefit of acquiring the laboratory in Province in order to facilitate the diagnosis which had hitherto been carried out in Kinshasa. Other equipment and consumables are still to be provided in order to strengthen the capacity of the laboratory to deliver diagnosis results within 24 hours after receiving samples. Bukavu City, being currently considered as the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in the Province, the Governor insisted on the observance of barrier measures intended to reduce contamination. He deplored the fact that the population which is the first actor in the fight against Covid-19 seem to give up on prevention measures. South Kivu Province has recorded 159 cases of COVID-19 with 20 recoveries and 24 deaths. Therefore, inhabitants of South Kivu must continue to be vigilant.

The Governor praised the involvement of scientists in protecting the Province against this pandemic and expressed a wish to visit the Catholic University of Bukavu in the coming months to inquire about the research being carried out. It should be noted that some alumni of the Catholic University of Bukavu are working hard with the response team at Bwindi Treatment Center.