Rapid antigen testing in all sub-divisional hospitals from Tuesday

PATNA: Rapid antigen testing for Covid-19 will commence in all sub-divisional hospitals from Tuesday, IPRD secretary Anupam Kumar said on Monday.
Secretary (health) Lokesh Kumar Singh said the tests with rapid antigen kits already started in sub-divisional hospitals in 27 districts on Monday. “The facility will be provided in the sub-divisional hospitals in the remaining 11 districts from Tuesday,” he said.
Briefing media, Anupam said administrative teams would be deployed in the important hospitals. “It will be a multi- disciplinary team with administrative as well as medical staff. It will help the doctors and improve the management in hospitals. Also, it will help in resolving people’s grievances,” he said.
He said the state government targets to commence rapid antigen testing in all primary health centres by the end of this week. “This will allow free of cost testing of any symptomatic person without any hassles,” he said.
Anupam said Bihar’s recovery rate is quite good and government is providing all required health services to people.
Steps are being taken to increase antigen testing across the state following instructions from CM Nitish Kumar last week to increase the overall Covid testing from 10,000 a day to 20,000. In the wake of recent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the CM also asked the officials last Thursday to provide antigen test facility to people who have symptoms or those who are high risk contacts at identified places.
Chief secretary Deepak Kumar had on Saturday instructed all the district magistrates to increase testing facilities in their districts. In Saran district, the administration has arranged collection of samples of suspected cases at Sonepur, Marhoura besides Chhapra Sadar hospital and PHC at Telpa and Masumganj. District communicable diseases officer has been appointed as nodal officer for the same.
At present, average 400 samples are being tested in Saran, out of which around 200 are being sent to IGIMS, Patna, besides testing of about 150-200 samples by TrueNet and 75-100 samples by rapid antigen test.