Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 6: Excess throat swabs received in Dakshina Kannada district are likely to be sent to private medical colleges henceforth because of the fact that the RT-PCR test results are getting very much delayed as a large number of swab samples are received.

Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, has written to health minister, Dr K Sudhakar, seeking permission to provide for getting the tests done through private colleges. If this arrangement is made, the test reports might be received within 24 hours as against about a week to eight days now.

Swabs of Sullia, Kadaba and Puttur taluks can be got done in Sullia KVG Medical College laboratory, and swabs of other taluks can be got done through private medical colleges. The letter suggests to bear the cost of the tests through the district administration's Covid Relief Fund.

Throat swabs are collected in primary health centres, community health centres, taluk and district hospitals in the district. Tests are performed in ten laboratories in the district. On an average, five to six thousand swabs are tested every day. The testing speed has picked up in the recent past. Because of work pressure in Wenlock hospital, swabs are sent to Chikkamagaluru and Hassan government laboratories for testing. On Wednesday, the third testing machine was installed in Wenlock Hospital. Therefore, the hospital can now conduct 3,500 swan tests and give results in 24 to 36 hours.

Kota Srinivas Poojary said that he expects the permission from the health minister as above to come within two days.

Getting faster results is key to corona management as identifying and separating the patients becomes difficult with passage of time. This gives rise to increased infections.