Odisha to conduct 30K coronavirus tests per day
BHUBANESWAR: Under pressure over low testing despite surge in COVID-19 cases, Odisha Government is preparing to ramp up coronavirus testing capacity up to 30,000 per day by next week. With seven new laboratories coming up at the district level this week, the capacity of RT-PCR tests is likely to cross 10,000 a day and the rest 20,000 would be conducted through the rapid antigen test kits.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department PK Mohapatra said the plan is now to achieve the daily test target of 30,000 to 35,000 and it will be increased further as per the requirement.
“We had procured 5.25 lakh antigen tests kits and orders for 13 lakh kits have already been placed. The consignment is expected to reach in a week.
Districts have been asked to conduct the rapid tests at the CHC and PHC level and ensure that those testing negative on antigen kits undergo RT-PCR tests,” he said. The Government has also swung into action to check fatalities due to Covid-19 in the districts, which are reporting high caseload and higher Case Fatality Rate (CFR).Ganjam was among the 13 districts in eight states that have been listed by the Centre for recording high caseload and higher CFR.
These districts account for nearly nine per cent (pc) of the country’s active cases and about 14 pc of Covid deaths. On Saturday, the Centre had advised to address the issues of low lab utilisation, low tests per million population, delay in test results and high confirmation percentage among the health care workers.
The Government was directed to ensure unavailability of ambulances with zero tolerance for refusal and monitoring of asymptomatic cases under home isolation with special focus on physical visits/phone consultation on daily basis besides making advance preparedness for infrastructure. Mohapatra, who attended the virtual meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, said the CFR in Ganjam has come down to one pc. “We have directed all hospitals to attend the patients having symptoms on a priority basis,” he said.
Healthy move
5.25L antigen tests kits procured 13L more kits ordered Districts asked to conduct rapid tests at CHC, PHC level