BHOPAL: It is taking five to six days for a person to get the Covid tests results in the state capital. This delay is leading to a faster spread of corona cases, as well as deterioration of the patient’s condition.
According to the health department, the testing capacity in the state capital is fixed at a certain limit, while the number of patients has increased by five to six times. This is why it is taking so much time for a person to get the report.
Second, many of the staff working at the pathology laboratories, fever clinics and public and private hospitals have become infected, so there is a staff crisis. Even if the timing for sampling and testing at fever clinics is increased, it will not serve the purpose as mostly institutions are facing a staff crunch.
RT-PCR tests stopped
Besides, private pathology labs have stopped RT-PCR tests after the state government reduced the rate from Rs 1,500 to Rs 700. This has increased the burden on the public hospitals for the tests. Private pathology labs, such as Thyrocare Pathology, Dr Lal’s Path Labs and others have stopped conducting RT-PCR tests.
According to a Thyrocare Pathology executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the state government has closed the labs as Thyrocare used to show negative only in case the CT value was above 40. But, in Madhya Pradesh, negative is declared on CT values of 30. The state government took action against Thyrocare Pathology labs across the state stating that it was a matter of process and there was no need for processing. Labs are supposed to do only tests.
Second, private labs have stopped testing because companies are charging Rs 600 and the technicians are charging Rs 200. Such accessories as PPE kits and others items are provided by the labs, so the minimum cost comes to around Rs 1,000. Similarly, they have stopped home collection because of the staff crunch.
Such private hospitals as Chirayu, National, JK Hospital and People’s Hospital are conducting tests because they can manage the meet the costs after adding them to the patients’ bills, which the pathology labs cannot.
