Facilities for coronavirus testing are not increasing in the country to cope with its growing demand, leaving most of suspected patients of the deadly disease in struggles to give test samples and long wait for the results.
Witnesses and officials said huge crowds gather in front of the sample collection centres at health facilities, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, in the capital every day for giving samples.
Official statistics suggest the number of daily sample test for coronavirus in the country has doubled in the last one month against almost six-fold increase in the daily count of confirmed cases.
Witnesses said a very low percentage of people gathering in the coronavirus test centres or booths every day are being able to give samples, of course after standing in queues for hours, while the others have to go back home only to wait for another day or give up the efforts for test.
According to government data, laboratory and sample collection facilities have increased a lot in the last one month. But the ground situation suggests the facilities are still too inadequate to tackle the growing demand.
Experts say the coronavirus test facility should reach the doorsteps of the people across the country; otherwise the danger will intensify and go beyond manageable situation.
They suggest that the government should take a quick decision to enhance the test facility.
It was said at a regular briefing of the health department on Friday afternoon that 14,088 samples were tested in the last 24 hours for coronavirus, taking the count to 372,365 since the outbreak of the disease.
According to the health ministry, coronavirus is currently being tested in 50 laboratories across the country.
Another 50 booths have been set up in the capital for sample collection with the cooperation from different public and private organizations, but many of them have become inoperative for various reasons.
"The demand [for coronavirus test] is increasing day by day. But our capacity is not enough yet. There is also a manpower crisis and a lack of testing capacity in the lab. Some labs have closed again,” an official of the ministry said.
There are allegations that a section of high officials of the health sector are more interested in corona-related purchasing and that they spend more time with suppliers, causing delay in emergency decisions.
Member of the National Technical Advisory Committee and former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Dr Nazrul Islam is advising the health department on sample test.
He said, “Two weeks ago, the committee recommended testing of at least 20,000 samples a day. I made several recommendations for this purpose. But, so far I know, no recommendation has implemented yet.”
“Although the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, the health department has been slow. It is not possible to prevent the virus by running behind,” he said.
DGHS Director General Prof Abul Kalam Azad said it is not possible to prevent the virus immediately.
“We have a plan for that. As part of this, the scope of sample testing will be expanded to each district. Discussions are also underway on antibody test kits. Experts are being consulted on whether to use that rapid kit,” he said
DGHS Additional Director General Prof Nasima Sultana admitted that there are some problems in hospitals for testing of corona samples.
“Some people are late in giving test reports due to the loss of samples. Necessary steps are being taken to solve these problems,” she said.
