VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS ACHIEVED ANOTHER FIRST AND PRODUCED AN ANTIGEN KIT
Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer announced that a Covid-19 antigen kit which gives results in 15 minutes by analyzing saliva was produced in cooperation with Bursa M. Kemal Coşkunöz Vocational and Technical Anatolia High School and Auto Exporters Union Vocational and Technical Anatolia High School which also serves as a R&D center.An antigen kit was produced in cooperation with Bursa M. Kemal Coşkunöz Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School and Otomotiv Endüstrisi İhracatçıları Birliği Vocational and Technical Anatolia High School which also serves as a R&D center.
Antigen kit which gives results in 15 minutes by analyzing saliva was designed and produced by the vocational high school teachers and students. The kit was the first of its kind as all materials of the product were produced in Turkey.
The antigen kit which will be labeled as "BRS-CA" has been submitted for approval and its packing design was also completed. Moreover, different alternative packing designs were prepared for preschool, basic education and secondary education institutions.
Cost of the production of the kit is one thirds of equivalent products.
Moreover, the Ministry has started a project for the mass production of the kit and the design of a machine which has the serial production automation ability. Production cost of equivalent kits in the market is 2.5 million liras while production cost of the "local and national" kit will be 600 thousand.
Noting that the country continued to see the outcome of transformation in vocational education, the Minister of National Education stated that the vocational high schools are keeping up their goals for development.
"Our colleagues in Bursa started R&D activities concerning antigen kit production three months ago. We have allocated required funds and given infrastructure support. The study yielded results within a short period of time. The entire production and automation of the kit was done by vocational high school teachers and students. Cost of the kit is lower than its equivalents in the market. Moreover, we have made the required investment for producing 5 million antigen kits per month."
Approval process continues
Noting that the approval process of the antigen kit still continues, Özer said: "We gave the good news about the antigen kit production to our President on October 11, 2021. Our application to the Directorate General for Health Services affiliated to the Ministry of Health is under assessment. Teachers and students in our schools will start using our antigen kit after its approval. I would like to thank the Bursa Provincial Director of National Education Serkan Gür and his colleagues for their success."