Shortage of test kits cripples Covid sample collection in Dhanbad
DHANBAD: The shortage of Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits has crippled the sample collection process for Covid-19 tests across health department centres in Dhanbad since Sunday, officials said on Wednesday.
The state health department has set up sample collection centres at four places in DhanbadSadar hospital, Baghmara community health centre (CHC), Tundi CHC and Topchachi CHC.However, due to shortage of VTM kits, collection of samples has come to a halt at the centres.
Confirming the same, civil surgeon (CS) Dr Gopal Das said that he had requisitioned the state headquarters and sample collection would resume at Nirsa and other CHCs in the district shortly.
“Besides suspected cases, samples of pregnant women will also be collected”, he said.
Meanwhile, six positive cases were reported from Dhanbad in the last 48 hours, increasing the tally to 13 in the district. Two patients have recovered and 11 active cases are undergoing treatment in the district. So far, samples of 6,188 people have been collected of which test results of 4,886 have been declared while the rest
SIX POSITIVE CASES WERE REPORTED FROM DHANBAD IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, INCREASING THE TALLY TO 13 IN THE DISTRICT
are still pending.
Besides, more than 300 migrant workers are arriving in Dhanbad every day on special trains and buses from other states. Since the health department has directed to collect samples of all incoming migrants, a heavy crowd of migrants assembles at the sadar hospital daily.
A senior medical officer at the dedicated Covid-19 sadar hospital said that due to shortage of VTM kits, migrants were being allowed to go after thermal scanning only.
Moreover, authorities at the sadar hospital on Tuesday were left hassled after migrants, waiting for their sample collection since morning, began protesting against the delay . Subsequently, they were taken to Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for the same.
PMCH principal Dr Shailendra Kumar said there was no shortage of VTM kits at the hospital, however, he had requisitioned the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to avoid untimely shortage.
“PMCH also supplies kits to hospitals and health centres. Therefore, a requisition has been sent before any crisis appears. I had, on Tuesday, ordered a supply of 500 VTM kits to the district sadar hospital,” Dr Kumar said.