Singapore: The Chinese mobile laboratory stationed at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital at Jui, is playing an instrumental role in facilitating Ebola laboratory tests in the devastated city.

The mobile lab, comprising of three load carriers, is designed to conduct P3 or 'bio-safety level 3' tests, a measure of a lab's ability to handle hazardous samples. The three carriers are equipped with a test chamber, assistant chamber, and a command chamber respectively.

In addition to laboratory experts, the 59-person team from the Chinese Center for Disease Control are stationed at the hospital, including epidemiologists, clinicians and nurses, supporting Ebola response efforts at the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital, which was built in 2012 with assistance from the Chinese Government.

Mr Wang Chengyu, head of the technical support team of the mobile laboratory, said, "The lab is designed to maintain a negative pressure to prevent the internal air from spreading out. To put it simply, the external air is allowed to come in but the internal air cannot go out."

He further stated that the used water is discharged after undergoing disinfection through a high-pressure water processor as it is likely to contain Ebola. Earlier the WHO had appreciated China in a statement recognizing the Republic's efforts in enhancing testing capacity for Ebola.