BMC increases number of COVID-19 testing

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8: The rapid increase in number of testing for COVID-19 cases has earned a pat for BMC with the COVID Observer and Principal Secretary Women and Child Development Department Anu Garg expressing her happiness and praise over the development. While on yesterday BMC conducted 2,285 tests, the day before it conducted 2,010 tests (August 6). For last several days, however, the testing number has surpassed 1,800 though the official target was 1,400. Chairing a review meeting of the steps taken by BMC against the COVID-19 pandemic situation at BMC Conference Hall yesterday, the COVID Observer also urged the civic body on increasing awareness on the disease so that people would not panic and more will come forward for the tests. As per sources till yesterday the city has conducted 70, 114 tests at seven different centres across the State Capital. On the other hand, while the Swab tests (RT-PCR) were done on 61,523 persons, Antigen test was done on 7,344 persons and TrueNaat test was done on 1,247 persons, till yesterday. The facilities where tests for COVID are being done include: AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AMRI, Sum Hospital, Apollo, Capital Hospital, inDNA and Shree Hospital. Proposal to include four Urban Community Health Centres is in pipeline as these four centres would also help in conducting tests for COVID-19 in near future. Capital Hospital has topped the list with 56,814 tests till yesterday for COVID-19 pandemic in city and there are 14 teams working to facilitate it. While 10 mobile teams of the largest Government Hospital of the city are going to different places across Bhubaneswar city to conduct tests, three teams remain there to manage the in-house requirements and one team goes with the mobile testing van, which started recently. A single team in-charge of testing includes two to three teachers, two laboratory technicians, one data entry operator and one sanitation worker. It can be mentioned here that till yesterday all the six other testing centres (private centres) combined have conducted 13,300 tests. The BMC authorities have urged the citizens to turn up in large numbers at the COVID-19 testing centres so that an early diagnosis can happen and they can be cured as treatment process could start early.