One of the greatest concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic is the prevention of transmission risk among international travellers. This concern has been addressed by Pure Health, the UAE’s largest lab network, in partnership with Apollo Diagnostics, a renowned diagnostic chain and a unit of Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited in India.

Pure Health and Apollo Diagnostics are coming together to administer COVID-19 tests to airline passengers flying into the United Arab Emirates. Pure Health has been appointed by the UAE government to launch this pioneering project to promote safe travel.

“We are happy to support Pure Health in their efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate safe travel for passengers flying into the UAE,” said Chandra Sekhar, Group CEO, Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited. “As one of the largest diagnostic chains in India, we are ideally placed to successfully deliver this ambitious initiative, and we are grateful for the trust placed in us.”

Apollo Diagnostics has already set up 9 collection centres across India. The program has been implemented in Hyderabad at Nallagandla & West Maredpalli,  Vijayawada at Venkateswarapuram, Kolkata at Laketown & Mudiali, Pune at Wakad, Bavdhan &  Dhanori, Delhi (home collection).

The traveller should visit screening.purehealth.ae and choose the test location and time slot. They have to make the payment online and carry the doctor’s prescription (depending on local government rules), Aadhaar card, passport, and payment receipt while arriving for sample collection. The test results will then be sent to the UAE authorities, who will use the data to cross-check with the arriving travellers against the border control database. To know more about this initiative, the travellers can contact Apollo Diagnostics at 040 4444 2424.

“The UAE has entrusted Pure Health with safeguarding the nation against the threat of travel-related COVID-19 transmission, worldwide. This responsibility requires us to ensure that we partner only with verified and accredited facilities around the world. We have partnered with Apollo Diagnostics to ensure that the screening process is of the highest quality and provide excellent standards of service to the travellers,” said Maria El Houari, International Passenger Screening Project Manager at Pure Health.

The UAE issued regulations that require all travellers flying into the country to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Travellers without such a certificate will not be allowed to board the flight.