Ensure you use calibrated and certified infrared thermometers, the Kenya Bureau of Standards has advised.
The infrared thermometers are considered key to the early detection of Covid-19.
“We must ensure the equipment used to screen patients for Covid-19 and other conditions are calibrated. Calibration will establish their overall functionality, accuracy and reliability, as well as minimise the uncertainty of the measurements,” managing director Bernard Njiraini said.
Failure to calibrate medical equipment can lead to false results and misdiagnosis.
Contact and non-contact thermometers, respiratory ventilators, refrigerators and freezers for storage of reagents, medicines and samples, are some of the critical healthcare equipment calibrated by Kebs.
Other critical equipment include high-temperature sterilisers, furnaces and incinerators.
Njiraini said the need for fast and accurate testing is imperative given the long incubation period and the contagious nature of Covid-19.
“We urge the manufacturers, traders, and users of this medical equipment to ensure that they are calibrated to the accepted International System of Units (SI) at the Kebs laboratories or accredited calibration laboratories,” he said.
During calibration of infrared thermometers, Kebs checks whether measurements are accurate and that any errors are within allowable limits.
Upon calibration, a certificate is issued, with the appropriate corrections.
