KOCHI: The delay in obtaining RT-PCR test results is causing anxiety and stress among those undergoing hospital and home quarantine. If earlier the health department could release the results within two days, now the department is taking more than four days to declare the results.
“ It was last Sunday that I felt slight uneasiness. Since I didn’t want to take a risk, I approached a private hospital. But they referred me to a government hospital. Though the authorities at the government hospital took my swab and placed me in hospital isolation on the same day, they haven’t released my RT-PCR results even four days on. Since I had spent the entire time at the hospital, the chances of having contracted the virus are less.
But if the health department delays it further, chances of contracting the virus are high,” said Ebrahim, 34, who is under observation at the Palakkad General Hospital. The situation is almost the same in the other districts. “Waiting for the RT-PCR result in a hospital room is a traumatic experience. By delaying the results, the health authorities are putting our close contacts, including aged parents, in a dangerous situation,” said a 25-year-old student, who had been placed in hospital isolation in Ernakulam. after he arrived from Tamil Nadu a few weeks ago.
Mainly, it is pregnant women who are affected by the delay in getting the results. “ The health department took my swab for RT-PCR test on Saturday. But almost a week has passed, but still they haven’t announced the result. As per the doctor’s advice, I have to get myself admitted to a private hospital for delivery on Friday. But the hospitals are not ready to admit patients due to the unavailability of RT-PCR results,” said Salini, 38, who had come here from Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu last week for her delivery.
However, neither the district administration nor the health department has taken the issue seriously.
“ We started collecting numerous samples to find out whether community spread had occurred. So the number of samples sent for testing has doubled. If a person tests positive, we will not delay the announcement. Moreover, we have arranged the services of psychologists to deal with such cases,” said N K Kuttappan, DMO, Ernakulam.