MANGALURU: Planning to fly abroad for a job interview and urgently need a Covid19 negative report based on Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test? Then head to the Covid19 lab at the district Wenlock Hospital. Not only is the test carried out for free, but also the report is given within 8-hours if the person indicates the urgency for it. The lab will also arrange to send a copy of the report by email or WhatsApp in such cases.
Giving this assurance at the 20th general meeting of the body here on Thursday, district surgeon Dr Sadashiva said the ramped up testing capacity at the district lab now makes it possible to test up to 1200 samples per day. “With the RTPCR test result valid for 96-hours, people in need of it for job and other travel requirements may approach the lab and not miss out on an opportunity to earn their livelihood for want of it,” he said.
The assurance came after Dhanalakshmi Gatti, chairperson of the standing committee on health and education said she is personally aware of instances of youths having lost the opportunity to fly out to join their new jobs due to delay in receiving test reports. Dr Sadashiva said those in need of Covid19 reports could also approach labs at private medical colleges where Rs 1600 is charged for the test as per the latest guideline from the government.
Sources at the district Covid19 lab said the machines at the lab are now able to perform up to 1200 tests per day with around 96 tests per cycle with an average of 8-10 cycles per day. This is up from the 200 to 300 samples that were tested initially, the sources said. Tests for government employees and front line Covid19 warriors are free as it is for BPL families. “We are now able to give the test reports quicker than usual,” the sources maintained.
To a complaint from Koragappa Naik, member, Dr Ramachandra Bairy, district health officer said action will be taken against doctors concerned if they refer a patient sent to Wenlock Hospital from government health facilities in the district to private hospitals. Patients covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojana should be referred to private hospitals only if specialists to treat the particular case at Wenlock Hospital are not available, he said.
Giving this assurance at the 20th general meeting of the body here on Thursday, district surgeon Dr Sadashiva said the ramped up testing capacity at the district lab now makes it possible to test up to 1200 samples per day. “With the RTPCR test result valid for 96-hours, people in need of it for job and other travel requirements may approach the lab and not miss out on an opportunity to earn their livelihood for want of it,” he said.
The assurance came after Dhanalakshmi Gatti, chairperson of the standing committee on health and education said she is personally aware of instances of youths having lost the opportunity to fly out to join their new jobs due to delay in receiving test reports. Dr Sadashiva said those in need of Covid19 reports could also approach labs at private medical colleges where Rs 1600 is charged for the test as per the latest guideline from the government.
Sources at the district Covid19 lab said the machines at the lab are now able to perform up to 1200 tests per day with around 96 tests per cycle with an average of 8-10 cycles per day. This is up from the 200 to 300 samples that were tested initially, the sources said. Tests for government employees and front line Covid19 warriors are free as it is for BPL families. “We are now able to give the test reports quicker than usual,” the sources maintained.
To a complaint from Koragappa Naik, member, Dr Ramachandra Bairy, district health officer said action will be taken against doctors concerned if they refer a patient sent to Wenlock Hospital from government health facilities in the district to private hospitals. Patients covered under Ayushman Bharat Yojana should be referred to private hospitals only if specialists to treat the particular case at Wenlock Hospital are not available, he said.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Quick Links
Delhi Air PollutionHaryana Coronavirus Helpline NumberUP Coronavirus Helpline NumberBangalore TemperatureBhopal NewsCoronavirus in DelhiCoronavirus in HyderabadHyderabad RainCoronavirus symptomsCoronavirusDelhi TemperatureAditya ThackerayShiv SenaFire in MumbaiMumbai RainsArvind KejriwalBangalore FloodsSrinagar encounter
Get the app