Random sampling off target in Amritsar’s containment zones

AS PER GUIDELINES, 10% POPULATION OF A CONTAINMENT ZONE HAS TO BE TESTED FOR TO CHECK WHETHER THERE IS COMMUNITY SPREAD IN THE AREA

AMRITSAR: Thehealthdepartment hasfailed to achieve the target of random sample collecting for Covid-19 testing in the Amritsarcity’s twocontainmentzones, with officials blaming the residents’ reluctance to get tested for fear of being admitted to hospital.

As per the Punjab government’s guidelines, 10% of the population in a containment zone must be tested to check whether there is community transmission in the area. But of morethan15,300residents in the city’s two containment zones, only 400 swab samples (2.5%) have been collected till date.

In the district’s first containment zone comprising Katra Motiram, Katraparjaandbombaywalakhoothathaveapopulation of 10,000, only 250 samples werecollected in the last 15 days. In the second containment zone comprising Katra Khazana where 5,300 people reside, only 150 sampleswerecollectedinthe last 10 days.

The district, which has been put in the ‘red-zone’ category, hasrecorded 831 Covid-19 cases, including 32 deaths.

Civil surgeon Dr Jugal Kishore said, “Teams of senior doctors andaccredited social health activists (ASHAS) visiting the containment zones educate the residents about the testing andtreatment process, but to no avail. Most people refuse to give their samplesthinkingtheirfamily members will also be taken to hospital if they are found positive.”

Dr Mandeep Sandhu, who is assigned with sample collection from containment zones, said, “First, people do not visit the samplecollection centre in their areas. Today, we could only collect 6 samples despite our best efforts to persuade several residents.”

“We are trying to achieve the target. Wewillnowstartdoor-todoorsamplecollection. Amobile testing van will soon be given to the health department for this,” said additional deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal.