Many people, suspected of contaminating coronavirus, are finding it hard to have their samples tested for confirmation of transmitting the disease. It is reported that many patients died without availing the facility of COVID-19 tests.
Police constable Jashim Uddin and journalist Humayun Kabir Khokon also died without knowing about their COVID-19 test results. Their COVID-19 cases were reported after their tragic deaths.
However, official concerned denied the above claims, saying that they are continuously working to extend the sample testing facilities.
Some patients said they had to stand several hours in the long queues for giving their samples. Some of them failed to give sample at the sample collection centers in different parts of the country even after waiting for hours.
Many people in the city said they first attempted to communicate with the IEDCR to drop their samples. After failing, they sought support of Fever Clinic introduced at theBangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Hospital or BSMMUH in the capital. After long wait, many of them could not give their sample for testing COVID-19.
Some officials of the Fever Clinic said they have nothing to do except expressing regret. They explained thatwith time such suffering would increase unlessthe number of such model fever clinics are not increased very soon.
A young man who was standing with sample outside the clinic since 9:am said, “I waited for more than two hours. But I failed to submit the samples. A staff informed me that they were not taking any more samples as they had already completed the days quotas for sample tests.”
Another suspected patient said, “If authority informs us in advance how many patients would be allowed to give samples, we would not then face such sufferings.”
Within around an hour of starting samples collection at the Model Fever Clinic at the BSMMUH, the concerned staffannounce that they were not taking any more samples for the day. After getting such announcement, many suspected patients became very angry. Some of them brought allegations of mismanagement and corruption in collecting samples from the patients .
One such aggrieved patientalleged that some of the corrupt staff members were involved in under hand dealing in sample collection for extra money.
Those who are paying bribes to these corrupt staff they were getting tickets for sample collection, it was alleged.
Every day around one thousand people come to submit samples only at BSMMUH. However, the Fever Clinic has capacity of collecting 300 samples only. As a result, people have to standing in the long lines often risking notmaintaining physical distance to contain possible outbreak of coronavirus.
Officials of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) claimed that sample collections are being conducted without any suffering. In contrast senior staff members of the Virology Department of BSMMUHsaid that it is not possible to provide expected services without increasing the capacity.
Professor Dr Saif Ullah Munshi, Chairman of the Virology Department of the BSMMU said, “We have no other option but to regret rest of those who cannot submit their samples.”
He also said, “ We shall set up four extra booths for collecting samples from the clients.”
He suggested setting up more such model fever clinics across the country to ease the sufferings.
Responding to a question, he said, “We are planning to give online token among the specific suspected patients for transparency.”
Meanwhile, the nation witnessed the death of a first police constable Jashim Uddin from COVID-19 in the capital city of Dhaka on Tuesday. His report of COVID-19 infection was confirmed a day after his death.
His sample was collected for COVID-19 on April 25 after he suffered from fever.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research on Wednesday confirmed that he was infected with the novel coronavirus.
Deceased journalist Humayun Kabir Khokon was also tested positive for COVID-19 after his death.
Uttara’s Regent Hospital’s Managing Director Md Shahed said. “We had collected a sample from him and sent it for test on Tuesday night. We were told in the morning that the result came positive for COVID-19.”