CM admits delay in release of COVID test reports

NT NETWORK

Margao

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday acknowledged that there has been a delay in releasing COVID test reports, stressing that the test should focus on people with co-morbid conditions so as to get around the problem.

It has been maintained that the release of reports of nearly 6,000 swab samples is still pending.

Speaking to media persons after chairing a review meeting on the state’s dedicated COVID Hospital, Sawant said that more than 200 people come for testing if one COVID positive case is detected.

“Yes, it is true that the reports don’t come early. The problem is that when one area reports a positive case then some 300 people come forward for testing,” he said. 

Sawant said the DHS will bring in some yardsticks for making people undergo the test. The priority for testing will have to be decided by doctors at the PHC and CHC. Only if this is done then we will be able to focus on getting COVID cases with co-morbid conditions tested.

“And if this yardstick is adopted then in the next four days we can clear the pending test reports,” he explained.

Currently the state has a capacity to test a little more than 2,500 swab samples using the TrueNat test. However, due to the increased number of cases being detected and a greater number of swab samples being collected as part of the contact tracing procedure, as many as 6,000 test reports are yet to be declared.