BHUBANESWAR: Even as the State Capital is witnessing an unprecedented Covid surge, shortage of antigen kits has seriously hampered testing capacities.
Antigen test is being done in 24 urban PHCs and CHCs in the city. However, people visiting different urban PHCs and CHCs in the Capital are returning without tests due to inadequate supply of antigen kits.
“We are receiving only 25 kits a day for the tests. These are exhausted within two hours”, said an official in-charge of Covid test in IRC Village and Samantapuri.
In Saheed Nagar and Satya Nagar UPHC, only 50 tests are being conducted a day, said an official in-charge for the two UPHCs.
With free RT-PCR tests only being done at Capital Hospital and that too in the first half of the day, many people visit these primary and community health centres for antigen tests.
The shortage has affected the number of daily testing in the city which has remained around 3,200 at present, way less than what it used to be during September last year when the first wave infection was at its peak. Around 4,000 to 4,500 tests were being conducted in the city during September last year.
Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said RT-PCR tests are being conducted in more numbers to meet the shortage and get more accurate results. He, however, said the issue will be addressed soon and the number of tests increased in the city.
773 cases in Bhubaneswar
The active case tally in the State Capital on Tuesday jumped to 5,896 as Covid-19 infection exploded in the city with a record single-day spike of 773 cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours.
Around 59 cases were reported from Patia while 42 tested positive in Nayapalli. Chandrasekharpur, Jayadev Vihar, Laxmisagar and Old Town also reported cases in two-digit.
Officials ok said 343 persons also recovered on the day. BMC chalked a strategy to improve the capacity of its 1929 call centre which has been operating round-the-clock. The BMC has also decided to use its 104 helpline to deal with the situation.