Dénia hospital tests 250 people a day for Covid- 19

Majority of results available within 24 hours

MARINA Alta medical staff assure they are PCR- testing an average of 250 people a day and that the majority of results are available in less than 24 hours.

Dr Patricia Martín Rico, head of internal medicine, says not only suspected Covid- 19 patients are tested – regular screening is taking place on those receiving dialysis, outpatients in the haematology and oncology units, and anyone attending a consultation for a pre- existing chronic health condition.

Anyone admitted to Dénia hospital for any reason, Covidrelated or not, is tested upon arrival.

In- patients in the psychiatric and children's ward are screened for coronavirus as a matter of course, and those booked in for surgery rather than facing emergency operations via A& E are given a PCR test up to 48 hours before going under knife.

Tests are conducted routinely on pregnant women arriving at the hospital, either for a planned caesarean section or because they have started to go into labour.

Hospital and local surgery staff are monitored closely, as are employees and residents at nursing homes in the district, where strict procedures have been agreed.

According to Dr Martín Rico, a typical day will see 250 PCR tests performed, the results of which are mostly generated within less than a day as the majority are examined on site at the hospital laboratory.

“This has become possible thanks to the equipment donated in May by the Dénia Foundation,” she says, referring to a district- wide charity set up by a network of local businesses.

“Right now, the machine donated generates results for 75 tests per day, but we're going to install an automatic RNA ( ribonucleic acid) extraction system in it, so we can carry out up to 175 tests daily.”