On August 20th the German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn visited the Red Cross Hospital of Mölln-Ratzeburg. Key aspects of the visit were to identify how hospitals that are in the frontline, are competing against the COVID-19 pandemic and managing the situation.
The hospital of Mölln Ratzeburg is the first site in Germany using the VitaPCR® POC system from Menarini Diagnostics, a Menarini Group company. The hospital with its 167 beds and 2 ICU units offers a broad range of interventions, covers a region of 100.000 inhabitants and treats approximately 9.000 patients within the hospital and 16.000 outpatients a year.
The decision to choose VitaPCR® was based on concrete advantages, explained the Head Physician and General Manager of the hospital Dr. Andreas Schmid.
"Up to now we were not so much confronted with the COVID situation, but after the holiday season we expect an increasing trend in infections. We were looking for a solution offering fast rtPCR results. Using the VitaPCR® instrument from Menarini Diagnostics enables us to obtain the result within only 20 minutes, which is a significant difference to the current situation where it requires to take a smear, send it to the laboratory and receive the result in the best case in 24, if not 48 hours. These fast rtPCR results are first and foremost important to give safety to the potentially infected patients, eliminating their tremendous fears. In addition, fast results have a significant impact on our resources, as potentially infected patients have to be isolated immediately and need single bed care capacity. In this sense, time to result matters really. In addition VitaPCR® offers influenza A/B testing and further infectious diseases parameters to come.“
The statement of Dr. Schmid reflects to 100% the positioning of the VitaPCR™ as a rapid molecular POCT platform, as it was pointed out by Fabio Piazzalunga, General Manager of A. Menarini Diagnostics and President of Menarini Silicon Biosystems:
“It is extremely important in these days scenario, to have solutions that allow the detection of positive cases minimizing time and logistics, bringing the screening where it is needed and run it in the quickest fashion with the most accurate technology possible. Menarini Diagnostics is able to give a significant help to our countries in a time when it is needed the most. We are here to serve, close to healthcare professionals and patients in these difficult days”
German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn on the right - Head physician and General Manager of the hospital Dr Andreas Schmid 2nd from right. (Lutz Roesler, Photographer, August 20th 2020).