The public can now take GeNose tests at UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing following the soft launching of GeNose Center, Monday (15/2). This facility serves anyone who wants to take a Covid-19 screening using GeNose by first registering themselves through http://ugm.id/tesGenose and later pay around IDR 25,000-40,000 (USD 2-3) for the test.
“When we first opened, only 5-10 people used the service. Yet, as time went by, demand has gradually increased. Some came directly to the GeNose Center, but we could not get them tested (at that time) as we had met our daily quota of around 60 people,” said Anggi Lukman Wicaksana, the GeNose Center representative.
Prof. Ova Emilia, Dean of the Faculty, explained that the number of daily quotas was based on GeNose’s capability of testing 20 people per hour, allowing 60 people within its three designated operational hours. The Faculty planned to install one or two more devices to double the daily quota and increase the service.
She also added that the main reason for opening the GeNose Center itself was in line with the Faculty’s learning characteristics that were closely related to diseases, including Covid-19. Hence academics can mobilize and learn more safely amid the pandemic.
“We make it free for the Faculty’s academics who have to do duties outside Yogyakarta. We also involve our students within the operation as a way for them to satisfy their competencies. Though it is paid-service and some may consider this a mere business, our primary goals for (the implementation of) GeNose Center are to ensure safety for all of our students, lecturers, and academic staff, and for them to learn,” she explained.
Lastly, Prof. Ova hopes more faculties and institutions will follow this step. By opening more Covid-19 test facilities, especially with the likes of GeNose that are easy and affordable, we can detect more cases in the community, thus protecting even more lives.
“We as a medical institution support this. In this way, we can train and keep protecting everyone,” she concluded.
Source: https://www.ugm.ac.id/id/berita/20808-fkkmk-ugm-buka-genose-center
