LUCKNOW: Doctors at the district hospital in UP's Mahoba have designed their own version of an air tight cabin for collecting swab samples to test coronavirus.
Called the Sample Collection Cabin for COVID-19, the structure has been inspired by one planned by a doctor in Kanpur and also by testing facilities in South Korea.
Behind the designing of the cabin is a team comprising Chief Medical Superintendent of Mahoba district hospital Dr R P Mishra, Dr Gulsher Ahmed, Dr Narendra and Dr Yogendra.
"We modified a structure planned by a doctor in Kanpur, about which we came to know through newspapers. As we worked on it we encountered difficulties and worked on removing them. We also got suggestions from some people," the CMS said.
The cabin has two holes through which the doctor can pass his hands for collecting the swab sample.
Gloves attached to a long-sleeve are affixed to the glass cabin through which the doctor can pass his hands to collect the sample.
"This cabin was inspired by a photograph of a testing facility in South Korea, which we saw on the Internet. As the idea came to our mind, we spoke to our CMS, explained him the entire concept, and he agreed to it," Dr Gulsher Ahmed told PTI on Sunday.
The booth was made in two days.
"The person to be tested is outside the booth while the person from the medical team is inside the booth and wearing a complete PPE kit. If a person whose samples are being taken sneezes, then the droplets will fall on the outer walls of the testing booth. After the sample is taken, one member of our medical team sprays the entire booth with sodium hypochlorite solution. The one who is wearing PPE kit sprays alcohol on the gloves of the lab technician (taking sample)," he said.
"The second sample at the Sample Collection Cabin for COVID-19 is taken after a gap of 10 minutes. We are exercising extra caution to ensure that infection does not spread," Dr Ahmed, who is posted as a master trainer for COVID-19 said.
So far, we have taken 124 samples, and 94 persons have tested negative for COVID-19, Dr Ahmed said.
As many as 6 districts of UP -- Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Maharajganj, Lakhimpur-Khiri and Hathras have now been declared as COVID-19 free.
Apart from this, 125 new patients have been confirmed as positive for novel coronavirus in various districts of UP taking the total number of positive cases to 974, of which 582 are related to Tablighi Jamaat.
Total deaths in the state stand at 14 (1 each at Basti, Varanasi, Bulandshahr, Kanpur and Lucknow; 2 each in Meerut and Moradabad and 5 in Agra).