COIMBATORE: At a time when Coimbatore is witnessing a daily rise in Covid-19 cases, the relatives of some infected persons have alleged delay in releasing test results and issue of ICMR IDs by the health department. Without an ICMR ID, they said, it is difficult to admit patients in private hospitals which in turn would risk the lives.
While Specimen Referral Form (SRF) ID is generated soon after a person undergoes a Covid test, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) ID is generated after the health department uploads details of the person on ICMR portal using an SRF ID, irrespective of the outcome of the results.
According to top health department sources, the ICMR IDs are issued to some patients in Coimbatore after a delay, however, it does not go beyond a week.
Speaking to TNIE, the relatives of a 60-year-old woman in Arisipalayam said that the woman underwent Covid test after she exhibited symptoms last week. However, the infection was confirmed only after she was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), three days after the test.
“The health department did not give us ICMR ID despite her samples testing positive. Had she been given the unique ID in time, we could have admitted her to a private hospital. The delay in getting the result has only deteriorated her health condition,” claimed the relatives.
Meanwhile, the health department sources said that relatives of a patient, who is yet to be admitted to hospital for the lack of ICMR ID, may also face difficulty in claiming an insurance policy in case of death as there is no confirmation on the cause. The sources said that the need to hush up the increasing cases could also be a reason for delaying the issue of ICMR ID or test results to infected persons.
When contacted, Deputy Director of Health Services G Ramesh Kumar refuted the allegations and said the patients can get admitted to a private hospital for Covid treatment even without an ICMR ID. He said, “The ICMR ID is necessary for only those who covered by an insurance policy. For others, the ID is issued only later.”
The official said he has directed the private hospitals not to demand the ID from the infected patients.