Meanwhile bigger diagnostic centres are taking a limited number of patients per day to keep their staff safe. They also recommend the public to choose home services -- diabetic profile, kidney function test, liver function test, and other infection screening. Diagnostic centres want the people to choose home services to be on the safer side and only to come to the centres for X-ray, scans and other health investigation services which can’t be provided at the doorstep.

“We are advising the patients to come to our centres with mask and gloves. We have to follow social distancing inside the premises, too. Since we have online booking for both home services and scan centres, people should avail them so that they don’t have to come and wait at the centre.

They should come at the time allotted to them,” said a staff from Aarthi Scans and Labs, which has branches in various areas in the city.

He added that for home services, a representative would go to the patient’s doorstep to collect the samples and tele-doctor consultation would be provided to them after the lab results.

But small-time diagnostic centres are feeling the pinch since they are functioning in a small space where social distancing can’t be maintained.

“I have been running a private clinic and diagnostic centre at the same place. Since I have a small clinic, I was asked by the health officials to shut the clinic until further orders. Social distancing, a key to contain the spread of coronavirus, can’t be maintained in our small office space,” said Dr M Senthil Kumar of SK Family Health Care

Clinic and Diagnostic Center at Vadapalani. When asked about the people buying medicine at pharmacies without prescription, the Dr Senthil Kumar said that they shouldn’t give medicines without doctor’s prescription but they are flouting the rules everywhere.