BHUBANESWAR: At a time when India is focusing on aggressive testing to effectively track and check the spread of coronavirus, Odisha, curiously, seems to be taking a completely opposite path. While tests across the country have increased substantially, day on day, to cross 11 lakh on Tuesday, the State has been reducing the number of tests at the same pace. From an average 58,728 tests a day in the last half of August to sub 40,000 range this week, the number of both antigen and RT-PCR tests in the State has come down by over 30 per cent (pc).
Even as early testing, timely contact tracing followed by isolation and treatment is considered the surest way of containing Covid-19, the fall in numbers has raised serious questions on the State Government’s intent and strategy. The action is being seen as a deliberate ploy to keep the daily number of cases at a considered level to show that the Government is in control, notwithstanding the fast worsening ground situation not only in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack but also across districts.
The Covid sample test was below 10,000 per day till early August and it was enhanced to 50,000 plus only after mid August following demands from various quarters and health experts. While the number of tests went up to 68,906 on August 22, it once again declined to 41,275 on September 7. Around 45,165 tests were conducted on September 6 and 41,595 tests on September 8.
Not only the total number of tests, the share of RT-PCR tests, considered as the gold standard for accuracy, has also come down considerably. From 11,358 tests on August 20 to 6,047 tests on September 8, the numbers are down by nearly 50 pc.
The official decision on reducing tests at all levels is being corroborated by officials at the districts. They have been reportedly directed to reduce tests so that cases will be in a comfortable zone. In turn, the district authorities have directed the field level officials not to go for more testing irrespective of the level of infections. While the districts mostly depend on antigen tests, the field health workers and periphery hospitals allegedly deny tests citing shortage in antigen test kits.
Odisha is now among the top-six states which have been fuelling the new infections in the country. The positivity rate that was below five pc last month, has now soared to 8.5 pc.Among the States having high caseload, Uttar Pradesh is doing highest over 1.2 lakh tests a day, followed by Bihar (over 1 lakh), Maharashtra (over 90,000), Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (over 70,000 each).
Despite registering less number of new infections compared to Odisha, Bihar, Telangana, Assam and Kerala are conducting more tests.Former ICMR advisor and top microbiologist Dr Tribhuban Mohan Mohapatra said, “I am surprised at Odisha’s reduced testing numbers. The State has to conduct as many tests it can to identify the positive cases. As the infection is getting matured, it is the time to increase the number of tests. More focus should be on the qualitative RT-PCR tests to ascertain the viral load which will ultimately help in treatment and reduce fatality,” he suggested. Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra, however, denied the charges of shortage in antigen test kits. He said the districts have been given targets for increasing tests. The number of RT-PCR tests has come down as technicians in some labs were found positive, he stated.