NMC diverts Covid testing workforce to vax drive

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has diverted its workforce from Covid testing centres to ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ drive, which aims to inoculate all eligible citizens by November 30.
Though not all RT-PCR swab collection centres are shut down, most of the medical staff including those hired under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) have been asked to help door-to-door vaccination drive team members.
The daily testing figures in the district have dropped to an average of 4,700 this month from anywhere between 17,000 and 23,000 during the second wave peak in April-May. More than half of the daily tests are rapid antigen tests (RAT) or done at private labs. This means that the workload on public facilities has drastically reduced giving them the liberty to perform other tasks.
Civic health officials said as the testing facility doesn’t need much personnel, they are being sent for vaccination drive where more manpower is needed.
The urban primary health centres (UPHCs) continue to offer RT-PCR and antigen tests which have sufficient stock of kits, but a few takers. Some additional centres which were started due to huge demand in second wave have been clubbed with nearby UPHCs or Covid Care Centre (CCCs).
Zone officials said people needing a negative RT-PCR certificate for travelling to certain cities and some having symptoms of cough and cold are coming, but the numbers are pretty low. “We had discontinued services of additional manpower requisitioned from NUHM as per government directives. But now, they have been called again as the workload under ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ is huge,” officials said.
NMC chief medical officer Dr Sanjay Chilkar said swab collection is going on. “As people are not coming for tests, we delegate other work to the staff. Yet, if someone needs a test, they can visit the UPHC,” he said.
Medical microbiologist Dr Sarfaraz Ahmed, who runs a private lab, said overall there is drop in footfalls. “Sometime back, pregnant women used to come regularly but now they seem to be preferring antigen tests. We mostly have people who wish to travel or have developed symptoms after returning from outstation. Some concerned local residents too come but as compared to others, they are very few in numbers,” he said.
Testing over the months
Month -------------- Tests
April--------------6,90,983
May --------------5,34,771
June --------------2,74,488
July --------------2,19,094
Aug --------------1,45,368
Sept --------------4,86,292
Oct--------------98,592
Nov* -------------- 81,372
* Nov data till 17th. Sept data may change following clarification from civil surgeon