Express News Service
RANCHI: Sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Jharkhand has further resulted into the delay in sample testing with path-labs not being able to handle it. Testing labs, both government and private, in Ranchi are flooded with samples with a backlog of over four days and 48 hours respectively.
Not able to clear the backlog, some of the private testing labs have even stopped taking samples for some time so that those who have already given samples may be provided their test reports.
Sources in the State’s premier health centre – Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, claimed that samples are flooded everywhere and they have to work round the clock to clear it.
“Samples of at least 4-5 days are pending for testing due to which we have been asked to give extra hours to clear them as soon as possible,” said a RIMS staff, requesting anonymity. Earlier, they were able to deliver test reports within 12-15 hours, but people are not getting it even after four days, he added.
“It is just because there has been sudden increase in sample collection, without making arrangements to testing,” said the RIMS staff.
Similar is the situation at private path-labs, most of which have simply stopped taking samples to avoid any further load on them.
Since, we are overburdened with the samples we are not taking samples as of now. “As against 4-6 hours, we are not able to provide the test reports even after 48 hours, due to which we have to stop taking samples,” said swab collection staff at a private testing lab in Ranchi.
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It is because there has been sudden rise in the number of people comming for testing. The sample collection has increased up to 1000-1200 everyday which was 150-200 every day last month, he added.
Amid this entire crisis, common people are suffering the most as they are being charged heavily by the sample collectors even for rapid antigen test.
“After I felt some symptoms of COVID-19, I called up the sample collector but he denied to collect samples for RTPCR but insisted on doing rapid antigen test for which he charged 600 per head for five persons in the family,” said a local resident Pranav Singh. When he opposed, the lab-staff asked him to get them tested from somewhere else, he added.
Notably, the Jharkhand High Court had also pulled up Civil Surgeon in Ranchi on Friday for the delay in testing of samples and sought detailed report on the number of samples collected and the backlog on Monday. According to government records, around 7000 swab samples are collected for COVID-19 in Ranchi everyday.
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