E-Paper
Delay in test results hits fight against pandemic in Chandigarh
The delay not only hits timely isolation but also contact tracing and declaration of containment zones
At a time when Chandigarh and its satellite cities are witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases, which is turning out to be even more serious than the first wave, people getting tested are ending up waiting for up to six days to get their reports.
The delay is proving detrimental in the fight against the pandemic, as it not only hits timely isolation but also contact tracing and declaration of containment zones.
Around 2,000 tests are being conducting daily in Chandigarh, up from 1,300 on an average when the cases were declining in early February.
Earlier, most of the people were undergoing rapid antigen tests, which provide quick results but are not that reliable. After the Centre issued directions to bump up RT-PCR tests to 70% of the total, the authorities were caught off guard as the testing capacity could not be stretched beyond 900 samples.
Considered the gold standard of testing, RT-PCR tests have a longer turnaround time. Earlier, while the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research was testing around 300 to 400 samples daily, Government Medical College and Hospital was conducting around 100 tests.
To increase the capacity, the authorities roped in private players, but the system is still to be streamlined, which is evident from the fact that residents are complaining that they have to wait for anywhere between three to six days to get test results.
Lokesh Sharma, 70, who provided his sample at the Civil Hospital in Sector 45 on March 29 had not received his report till April 2. “I was told there is a huge rush, and thus processing of samples is taking time,” he said.
Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Sector 48 who got his test results after five days on March 27, said the claims of the administration that everything is on track are false. “You cannot blame people for everything. How can a person isolate himself if he has no idea of the infection status?” he said.
The Centre had recently asked Chandigarh to effectively implement the test-track-treat strategy and escalate testing till the positivity comes down below 5%. At present, the weekly test positivity rate is hovering around 13%, among the highest in the country.
Vijoy Kumar Singh, additional secretary and financial adviser, Union ministry of textiles, who is heading the central team sent to Chandigarh to assist the local authorities in containing the Covid-19 surge, said he was aware of the delay in test reports and the administration will be advised to bring down the turnaround time to 24 hours.
Dr Ravi Gupta, medical superintendent of GMCH, said the lab at the hospital is functioning round the clock and all samples are being tested within 48 hours. Arun Kumar Gupta, UT health secretary, said the system is being streamlined and delays, if any, should be brought to the notice of the authorities.
Meanwhile, a senior health official, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that the department was receiving complaints about delayed test results. “In the present scenario, reports should be made available within 16 hours, or at most within 24 hours. Otherwise, the infection will spread further,” said the official.
