GUNTUR: Following a spurt in Covid-19 positive cases in the district, set back in Covid-19 test results is forcing people to turn to private laboratories for immediate results. The private laboratories are only testing those samples they collect from people coming to their labs and not testing those sent by the government
Currently, medical and health officials are conducting 8,000 to 9,000 tests per day in the district. The swab samples are collected at Gandhi Park, Brindavan Gardens, and GGH in the city. This apart, four private laboratories authorised by the government are also conducting tests.
A resident of Srinivasaraopet suffered a fever and cold a week ago. He went to the Guntur GGH and gave his swab sample. Even after three days, he did not get results. So he paid `2,000 to a private laboratory and got himself tested. When he got the results, he found that he had tested positive. Five days later, he got a text message on his mobile phone from the GGH that he tested positive eight days after giving swab samples.
Due to the vaccination programme, the Covid-19 testing at UPHCs was stopped. As the three Covid-19 testing centres set up in the city are experiencing a heavy rush, GMC commissioner Anuradha asked the health officers to restart the tests in all UPHCs in the city.
The commissioner instructed the hospitals not to keep the samples pending but to take measures to give the results within 24 hours.
Until the results arrive in two or three days in government testing centres, the people, who are Covid-19 positive, line up many secondary contacts. In most centres, only RTPCR tests are being conducted.
And it is taking a minimum of two to three days to get the results of the tests. And the virus is spreading rapidly as people are roaming outside until the results came. On the other hand,Along with this, in the past week,