HYDERABAD: A 57-year-old lab technician working at the Government Chest Hospital Erragada died after getting infected by Coronavirus. D Goverdhan, who was admitted in NIMS for nearly 15 days succumbed to the infection after most of his organs were affected by the infection. He was due for retirement next year and is survived by his wife and three children. The frontline worker had tested positive on July 13 and is likely to have gotten infected at the hospital itself.
The lab technicians are involved in an array of works such as antenatal tests, pregnancy tests, TB screening, elderly clinics and general Out-Patient. In fact, for the invasive tests done for TB which involves collecting samples from the respiratory system is done by technicians allegedly without a PPE gear.
“There is no cabinet facility in most of the collection centres. The PPE and N95 masks are also not given to us during TB screening which exposes us to patients with Coronavirus like symptoms,” said Ravinder Manchala, general secretary of Telangana State Government Medical Lab Technicians Association (TSGMLTA). As 30-40 odd technicians have been affected by Covid-19, the association members demand that doctors be roped in for swab collection for both accuracies and for relieving the burden from technicians.
“As per Central government guidelines, the ENT/Dental assistant surgeon must collect swabs for COVID as they are specialised in ensuring that a correct sample is taken, however, lab technicians are doing it without proper training. In Telangana, lab technicians are being made to take COVID swab collection and transport in some cases,” added Ravinder.