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Many staff of Prayagraj-based MLNMC microbiology lab down with Covid hampering RT-PCR testing
As many as 14 of the 30 trained employees of microbiology department of Motilal Nehru Medical College, where all of Sangam city’s RT-PCR tests of corona are being investigated, have tested positive leading to a backlog of samples, said an official of the department
As many as 14 of the 30 trained employees of microbiology department of Motilal Nehru Medical College, where all of Sangam city’s RT-PCR tests of corona are being investigated, have tested positive leading to a backlog of samples, said an official of the department.
The head of department, Dr Monica said, “We are somehow managing things with half of the trained staff and no one is ready to get trained because of the increasing numbers of cases. If we get a team only then we would be able to prepare them for investigation, but the problem is there are no volunteers to get trained.”
One of the employee of the department without wanting to be named said:
“Because of deficiency of ‘fit’ staff, there is the backlog of over 5,000 samples that have to be tested and the staff is under great stress but doing their best in the present challenge.”
The official said because of the backlog, people have to wait for three to four days for their report which also pushes the treatment further.
The situation is that people have themselves started to reach the microbiology lab, trying to find out their reports. Even more worrying is that if further lab workers become infected, the RTPCR investigation in the district will come to a standstill.
“The district administration too has to consider taking the needed steps so that the backlog is cleared and the RTPCR investigation is not hampered by the dearth of staff. If the investigation of the collected samples is reduced instead of increase, then the situation will become worse,” the official said.
The RTPCR tests in the department started on April 10 last year and since then it has not found a single researcher.
Allahabad University and Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) both have a departments of microbiology where research work is going on. The number of tests can be increased by roping in researchers here in the lab of MLN College, he added.
If researchers or the lab of these two institutions along with one private lab are involved, there would be less dependency on only one place for the investigation of RTPCR. This is need of the hour as the Union Health Ministry has passed the mandated that 70% RTPCR and 30% antigen test has to be done to prevent corona infection, the official added.
The source suggested that King George Medical University, Lucknow, has set an example by preparing a large number of people to conduct RTPCR investigation here. In view of corona’s growing transition, administrative officials should seriously consider implementing the KGMU formula.
