NOIDA: Late last month, a 39-year-old man living in Sector 150 got himself tested for Covid-19 after developing symptoms. His results returned positive on March 26, as did his wife’s, after which they were shifted to isolation wards, first at Child PGI and then at Sharda hospital.
In the days that followed, both the patients slowly recovered. But while the woman was discharged on April 16, her husband continues to be kept in isolation. His medication was stopped two weeks ago, but he is waiting for a second negative Covid report in order to be released.
“My husband’s sample was taken on April 19, which we were told is now unusable. After this, four more samples have been taken, but the first of the reports has come only on Wednesday. His X-ray is clear, other reports are normal, treatment has been stopped, but he has to stay in the hospital with other Covid patients unnecessarily. This is sheer mental torture,” said his wife Pooja.
Like the couple, several others who have been cooped up in quarantine facilities with suspected Covid patients have complained they have been forced to stay there longer than necessary because of what they describe as an endless wait for their test reports.
Those in isolation want to return home, while those quarantined are worried that even if they are not positive, they may contract the disease at the facility.
A major factor behind seems to be the long waiting time at the two testing centres in the district – Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida and National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) in Sector 62. In many cases, reports have been pending for 8-10 days, sometimes even more.
For instance, after a doctor from Skytech Mattrott society in Sector 76 tested positive on April 20, a group of 11 primary contacts, including his wife, were sent to the quarantine centre in Galgotias University in Greater Noida as a precautionary measure next day.
“The samples of the 11 people were taken the day they were quarantined. While being shifted, they were told they would have to stay there only for two days,” Sandeep Jindal, president of the apartments owners association, said.
While the doctor’s wife was shifted back to her flat after her first report came negative (a second report is awaited) as she did not display symptoms, the other 10 in the group have alleged that their samples were taken twice, but no results have come yet. And in the absence of test reports, they are being forced to stay quarantined, even without any symptoms. This, they fear, can pose a risk to their health.
“They have no symptoms whatsoever. Their samples were taken twice but the reports of none of the two tests have come. If you keep a healthy person inside, you put their life in danger. We have been in regular contact with the doctor at the GIMS lab but they only said that the reports are awaited,” Jindal said, adding that they have been getting calls incessantly from the quarantined residents and their kin about their release.
For Covid docs, a similar delay
The quarantine cloud hangs over frontline doctors on Covid duty as well. As per protocol, after completing a shift, doctors and other staff from Covid wards must be sent to a quarantine facility for 14 days and tested.
However, nine doctors from Sharda hospital, who have been in quarantine at Radisson Blu hotel since April 14, had to wait till Wednesday for their reports.
“We finished our shift from April 7 to 14 and were quarantined. Our first sample was taken on April 15, but the report never came. We were called for a second sample on April 24. Again we didn’t get the report. We were asked for a third sample the same day as the officials could not locate reports of the previous two tests. We were told the report will be expedited,” said Dr Ankur Garg from Sharda Hospital.
“If there is the response, or the lack of it, to doctors working in Covid wards, I can only imagine what others must be facing. This is our situation after one work shift. We don’t what will happen if we are asked to do more shifts,” he said.
The doctors’ reports, all negative, came after a wait of 14 days from the day their samples were taken, following which they were released.
In the days that followed, both the patients slowly recovered. But while the woman was discharged on April 16, her husband continues to be kept in isolation. His medication was stopped two weeks ago, but he is waiting for a second negative Covid report in order to be released.
“My husband’s sample was taken on April 19, which we were told is now unusable. After this, four more samples have been taken, but the first of the reports has come only on Wednesday. His X-ray is clear, other reports are normal, treatment has been stopped, but he has to stay in the hospital with other Covid patients unnecessarily. This is sheer mental torture,” said his wife Pooja.
Like the couple, several others who have been cooped up in quarantine facilities with suspected Covid patients have complained they have been forced to stay there longer than necessary because of what they describe as an endless wait for their test reports.
Those in isolation want to return home, while those quarantined are worried that even if they are not positive, they may contract the disease at the facility.
A major factor behind seems to be the long waiting time at the two testing centres in the district – Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida and National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) in Sector 62. In many cases, reports have been pending for 8-10 days, sometimes even more.
For instance, after a doctor from Skytech Mattrott society in Sector 76 tested positive on April 20, a group of 11 primary contacts, including his wife, were sent to the quarantine centre in Galgotias University in Greater Noida as a precautionary measure next day.
“The samples of the 11 people were taken the day they were quarantined. While being shifted, they were told they would have to stay there only for two days,” Sandeep Jindal, president of the apartments owners association, said.
While the doctor’s wife was shifted back to her flat after her first report came negative (a second report is awaited) as she did not display symptoms, the other 10 in the group have alleged that their samples were taken twice, but no results have come yet. And in the absence of test reports, they are being forced to stay quarantined, even without any symptoms. This, they fear, can pose a risk to their health.
“They have no symptoms whatsoever. Their samples were taken twice but the reports of none of the two tests have come. If you keep a healthy person inside, you put their life in danger. We have been in regular contact with the doctor at the GIMS lab but they only said that the reports are awaited,” Jindal said, adding that they have been getting calls incessantly from the quarantined residents and their kin about their release.
For Covid docs, a similar delay
The quarantine cloud hangs over frontline doctors on Covid duty as well. As per protocol, after completing a shift, doctors and other staff from Covid wards must be sent to a quarantine facility for 14 days and tested.
However, nine doctors from Sharda hospital, who have been in quarantine at Radisson Blu hotel since April 14, had to wait till Wednesday for their reports.
“We finished our shift from April 7 to 14 and were quarantined. Our first sample was taken on April 15, but the report never came. We were called for a second sample on April 24. Again we didn’t get the report. We were asked for a third sample the same day as the officials could not locate reports of the previous two tests. We were told the report will be expedited,” said Dr Ankur Garg from Sharda Hospital.
“If there is the response, or the lack of it, to doctors working in Covid wards, I can only imagine what others must be facing. This is our situation after one work shift. We don’t what will happen if we are asked to do more shifts,” he said.
The doctors’ reports, all negative, came after a wait of 14 days from the day their samples were taken, following which they were released.
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