Testing out of step with number of PCR labs

The daily Covid-19 sample tests has been far too inadequate despite notable increase in the number of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) labs and sufficient availability of kits, according experts.

They suspect mismanagement on the part of the relevant health officials for giving rise to a situation where hundreds of patients are finding it difficult to get tested.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), it is alleged, has not been transparent in giving the actual status of PCR tests and number of kits available with it.

For the last couple of weeks, the number of daily Covid tests hovered between 14000 and 16000. On Wednesday, the DGHS said a total of 16433 samples were tested in the past 24 hours.

The director general of health Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad has revealed that they have received 0.1 million kits --- 42,000 on 22 June, 50,000 on 23 June and 10,000 on 24 June. This stock will help increase the number of test, he said.

At present, 61 laboratories, according to the DGHS, have been doing PCR tests. Of these, 32 labs are in Dhaka. But how many of them are actually doing active testing is not clear.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the DGHS has already supplied 50,000 kits to institute of epidemiology, disease control and research (IEDCR). The institute has been distributing those. The Central Medical Store Depot (CMSD) also has a stock of 42,000 kits.

On the other hand, World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to make available 68,000 more kits to DGHS within next couple of days.

The DGHS, in the meanwhile, issued an office order on Wednesday suspending the contract with JKG Healthcare for alleged fraudulent activities on the part of the latter. The JKG supplied false reports to patients without doing any tests. Joint secretary of Foundation for Doctors' Safety Rights and Responsibility (FDSR) Dr Rahat Choudhury alleged that there was misappropriation of kits.

"The DG health should have been prepared with long term plan on how to manage test kits. Why should there be kit crisis in this situation? he wanted to know.

Director of Drug Administration Ayub Hossain said that they have already issued NOC to a number of companies to import kits and these firms have been compliant in the matter of quality. There is no problem with the permission. A team of five officials of DGDA is working on NOC. There may be procurement problem on the part of DG health, he added.

Talking to the FE, director of national institute of laboratory medicine Professor Dr Shamsuzzaman said that they have provided highest 2681 reports a day. The institute tests on an average 2500 samples per day. The supply of PCR test kits was never hampered though the number was less than required.

"I keep buffer stock buying kits from the project fund so that the testing process is never hampered. I get samples from 13 hospitals inside Dhaka, some other districts outside Dhaka and sometimes the backlog samples which other labs could not test," he said, adding: my priority is to give reports of the 13 hospitals in Dhaka within 24 to 48 hours.

He suggested that the DG health should pay more attention to increasing the number of tests and reducing the backlog so that people can get the reports quickly.