Now that Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s announcement that pharmacies in the province could begin providing COVID-19 testing, Altima Healthcare Canada has said that its medical and dental offices could begin testing asymptomatic individuals as well.
With personal protective equipment (PPE) in short supply and a recent increase in cases, the company said, allowing patients to get tested in facilities that already have required safety measures in place could save additional costs, reduce PPE use, and create fewer contact opportunities for Canadians.
Dentists in Japan are authorized to test their patients for SARS-CoV-2, Altima said. And in addition to already being equipped with the required PPE and associated training, the company added, dentists and doctors are experts in the mouth, throat, and neck.
Providing testing kits to medical and dental practices therefore can reduce the workload of the already stretched healthcare system and reduce waiting times for tests, Altima said.
“By delivering direct access to COVID-19 tests for asymptomatic patients who are already at the clinic for their appointment, we can increase the quality of care for patients while improving the healthcare system by being part of the solution,” said Dr. George Christodoulou, co-CEO of Altima.
“We are in the next best possible position to allow individuals to get tested for COVID-19. We are ready to offer our help and collaborate with the government as of today,” said Christodoulou.
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