Comilla medical suspends COVID-19 testing due to kit crisis

When the coronavirus situation in the country is gradually worsening, Comilla Medical College Hospital has reportedly been compelled to suspend the coronavirus testing facility two days back due to the shortage of kits.

Because of the situation, the district health department stopped collecting samples from suspected people, causing a huge public outcry.

Mustafa Kamal Azad, principal of the medical college, confirmed the suspension of coronavirus testing, saying Polymerase Chain Reaction laboratory of the hospital was currently shut.

The hospital launched coronavirus testing facility on April 29 and had been testing samples since then.

A total of 6,900 testing kits were provided to the hospital by the government. Due to excessive pressure of samples, all the kits were used by Friday.

As a result, the authorities had to suspend coronavirus testing.

Currently, more than 1,000 samples await testing at the PCR laboratory.

Nisharga Meraz Choudhury, coordinator of Cumilla Coronavirus Infection Prevention Committee, said they canceled sample collection activities due to the kit crisis.

‘We’re not receiving samples without emergency cases. We’ll restart the activities once the testing begins,’ he added.

Principal Mustafa Kamal expressed optimism that they would soon be able to resume the testing facility.

‘We’ve been informed from high ups that the imported kits are now at airport. We’ll resume testing activities as soon as the kits arrive here,’ he added.

Bangladesh continues to witness surge in coronavirus cases as it reported 2,635 new cases across the country on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 63,026.

Besides, a total of 846 people have so far lost their lives.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net