Don’t reject Covid test samples, docs tell govt

Rejection of 160 samples by the govt worries doctors

Doctors from the Indian Medical Association are being asked by government health officials to start private clinics as there are complaints from the people that patients suffering from other ailments also require attention.

Non-Covid 19 diseases cannot be ignored, and doing so will lead to another major burden. To avoid this, small hospitals must start functioning the doctors are being told. A senior doctor on condition of anonymity said, “While all of us are keen to start practice we have asked government that cases which are referred by us for clinical symptoms of Covid-19 must be tested by government hospitals. They cannot then blame us for not sending the patient as has been noted in the hospital at Ranga Reddy district which was shut down on Friday. References to Gandhi Hospital must not be rejected.”

While PPE kits, masks and gloves are not available with small clinics and hospitals, they have decided to take up simple cases and those of a noncommunicable nature like hypertension, diabetes and related illnesses. Infections in these illnesses will be a difficult matter to deal with but they have to tread very cautiously, stated another doctor.

Corporate and major hospitals have been taking samples of patients in pre-operative cases for Covid-19 testing. These are being rejected by the government.

On Friday, 160 samples were rejected, stating that the patients were not suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). This has got doctors worried. They have decided that till testing kits are made available, only emergency operations will be carried out with PPE. The requirement for medical personnel to wear PPE kits, face masks and gloves will increase the costs by `10,000 to `20,000 for surgery.