Based on S Korea model, Kerala sets up sample collection kiosk
nTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a first, Kerala has set up a walk-in Covid sample collection kiosk at the Ernakulam medical college hospital.
The walk-in sample kiosk (WISK), the first in the country, is a mobile cubicle with heavy sealed glass front, which will have an extended glove attached to its front. A medical practitioner, standing inside the cubicle, will be able to collect swab samples through this glove without exposing himself.
Ernakulam district collector S Suhas said these kiosks will be set up in all four dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in the district. A safer method to collect swab samples, Suhas said it will help in expediting the testing process.
After a medical practitioner collects the swab sample, gloves can be santitized from the outside and the practitioner will not have to change the heavy personal protection equipment (PPE) after every patient.
“We need more such kiosks in Kerala. It will help conduct more tests. It will also reduce the growing demand for PPE kits which we will need if we enter the state of community spread. These kiosks will also encourage suspected patients to get in and take tests quickly without undergoing rigours in the hospital,” said Dr A S Anoop Kumar, head of the critical care unit in Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikkode.
Each kiosk is expected to cost around Rs 40,000 and at least 40-50 samples can be taken in about an hour.
The state health department said it will set up more such kiosks in some of the worst-affected areas after gauging its success.
The model of the kiosk testing is based on similar tests which were conducted in South Kerala. The model helped the country contain the spread of the disease. Following this, the World Health Organisation had urged all countries to emulate the model.