KUALA LUMPUR: ACO Group Bhd (AGB), via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Actgen Industry Sdn Bhd, has entered into a business collaboration agreement with health technology solutions provider, Prima Nexus Sdn Bhd (PNSB) to distribute rapid test kits for the detection of Covid-19 which have been approved by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
Under the business collaboration agreement, AGB and PNSB will work together to distribute the Covid-19 Antibody Rapid Test Kit (ARTK) within Malaysia.
"This is a strategic collaboration for us to meet the rising demand for Covid-19 testing and detecting products, amongst our large base of industrial customers such as factory owners and construction companies.
"By working with PNSB, the Covid-19 tests can be carried out on-site at the organisations' respective premises by trained medical professionals.
"This makes it convenient for the customer and large-scale testing can be conducted within a short period of time," AGB group managing director Tang Pee Tee said in a statement today.
With the gradual resumption of economic and business activities across Malaysia, companies are taking steps towards creating a safe workplace environment.
Mass screening of Covid-19 using rapid test kits which detect antibodies is one of the recommended tests by MOH for workers returning to work.
Blood samples from individuals will be taken by finger-pricking and this easy-to-use test kit can generate results on-site within 15 minutes, with no requirement for samples to be sent to external diagnostic laboratories.
The tests will be carried out under the supervision of medical professionals from PNSB who will also certify the results.
PNSB is a regional management consulting firm providing bioscience and health technology solutions for the medical areas of research, clinical, therapeutic and diagnostic.
The company works with a broad mix of private, public and social sector institutions and is also involved in the distribution of pharmaceutical products and medical lab equipment to medical centres, hospitals, clinics and universities.
"Since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in Malaysia, ACO has also started distributing hand sanitizers and personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves that have been in high demand from our customers.
"Many business owners are looking for protective equipment to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government after the relaxation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and gradual reopening of businesses from 4 May 2020 onwards," Tan said.
"We look forward to establish a productive business relationship with PNSB and will explore new business avenues that leverage on both companies' strengths, riding on AGB's large distribution network and PNSB's strong knowledge in the medical industry," Tan said.