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The president of a company that offers COVID-19 tests with results in 24 hours for $ 215 defends the role of the private sector in the fight against the virus, while Québec solidaire proposes to the government to requisition its resources.
• Read also: Québec solidaire proposes to requisition private laboratories
On Wednesday, the opposition party suggested that the government use the state of health emergency law currently in force to appropriate the testing capacities of some private laboratories in the province.
“There is no question of everyone in society making sacrifices, except private health laboratories, then that they have the right to sell tests to the rich faster”, protested the co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
However, according to the president of the Medfuture laboratory, Mario Tremblay, such a measure would be counterproductive since he considers that he offers complementary services to those of the government. It also defends the work of its employees.
“It’s like telling us that we’re not serving the cause,” he said. Our staff, in good French, are in turmoil and our nurses are at the front and work as hard as in the public. ”
In partnership with private laboratories, Medfuture tests hundreds of individuals for COVID-19 daily through mobile clinics and drive-thru service in Mirabel. It costs $ 215 to get a COVID-19 test, $ 185 for a serologic test, and $ 400 for the combo.
Its main customers: companies that want to resume their activities quickly and travelers in a hurry to obtain a “COVID passport” and who do not meet the government’s criteria to be tested.
“Customers want a quick test, quick results so they can get on the plane within 48 hours,” said Tremblay. So you have to be organized to deliver the goods in a very efficient manner. [Mais] travelers, the government does not pay for that. ”
What is more, once the saliva tests have been authorized by Health Canada, Mario Tremblay estimates that 10,000 samples can be evaluated every day by his laboratories through mailings.
“As long as we have authorized tests, we can start operating within 48 hours. […] We may need to hire a little more staff, but we have the physical capacity to do this volume, ”he said, adding that there was the potential to test a lot of people as well.
