Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar exceed UP’s new minimum testing targets

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday ordered the health department to increase molecular testing for Covid-19, also called RT-PCR testing, to about 150,000 per day across the state to break the chain of infection

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday ordered the health department to increase molecular testing for Covid-19, also called RT-PCR testing, to about 150,000 per day across the state to break the chain of infection.

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In December, Gautam Budh Nagar was given a target of 1,750 RT-PCR tests daily will now have to test 3,500. Ghaziabad’s target remained unchanged at 1,700. Officials from both districts said they were already operating in excess of these numbers.

Overall, the state is currently targeting a testing rate of 100,000 antigen tests and 75,000 RT-PCR tests, said Amit Mohan Prasad, UP’s additional chief secretary (health) on Tuesday. The state had tested over 37 million samples till date, he added.

“We are exceeding the target,” said Prasad. “We tested 218,965 samples in the last 24 hours and a little over 97,000 of these were through RT-PCR method.”

RT-PCR, or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, is considered more accurate than antigen tests, which is faster and cheaper.

Gims officials said that could testing up to 6,000-8,000 tests per day.

“At present, we are conducting 2,800-3,000 tests per day. We get samples from Ghaziabad, Saharanpur and Hapur districts and giving test results within 24 hours. Sometimes it may get delayed depending upon the quality of sample sent to us. Both GB Nagar and Ghaziabad are sending about 1,500 to 2,000 samples per day,” said Brig (retd) Rakesh Gupta, director of GIMS.

Ghaziabad had seen a sharp spike in cases over the last month and has increased its testing that had slacked during the first three months.

“For about 10 days now we are testing 5,500-6,000 samples per day. We can scale RT-PCR tests further if required. But the results should be provided timely, ideally within 24 hours,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer of Ghaziabad.

Ghaziabad officials said they were sending samples also to MMG Hospital. An officer at the hospital, requesting anonymity, said, “We are catering to about 700-800 daily samples and can scale up testing to about 2000 if we get the computerised extractor unit. We are sending our results within 24 hours from the time we receive samples.”

District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey was unavailable for comment.