AIIMS Nagpur shares COVID-19 testing load of IGGMCH
| Date :04-Apr-2020 |
By Vikas Vaidya :
Skilled staff at GMCH helping AIIMS
With breakdown in main PCR machine at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), the speed of examination of samples of coronavirus has got reduced. At the same time the much-awaited testing facility at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has begun functioning on Friday. IGGMCH laboratory team is examining throat swab samples of people from Nagpur, whole of the Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh with four technicians only.
The machine at IGGMCH was examining 100 samples daily. With the breakdown of the machine, the smaller one could do examination of not more than 50 samples. Meanwhile, Head of Department of Microbiology Dr Sharmila Raut and her deputy Dr Ravindra Khadse are continuously in touch with the machine manufacturer to get it repaired. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur has been actively participating in containing the spread of COVID-19 infection. Further to augment the testing capacity of Nagpur, Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) was established at AIIMS on war-footing.
Team of National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Delhi visited AIIMS and inspected and gave its approval for the same. Four members of AIIMS had been deputed at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) for assisting in PCR testing of COVID-19. Three members were deputed to the Central Response Team to Mumbai and Goa to support and facilitate the implementation of preparedness measures for COVID-19 cases. AIIMS is likely to face major load against the backdrop of machine breakdown in IGGMCH.
Considering this aspect AIIMS administration requested Government to provide them technically skilled support. The team at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is ready to do the job that will be helping AIIMS. GMCH too is awaiting the approval from Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for its testing facility. GMCH has got the machine and team from NIV too has inspected the facility. But the proposal is pending at ICMR. Once it gets the approval, GMCH will too share the load of testing facility along with AIIMS and IGGMCH.
No positive case on fourth day There is a reason for every citizen of Nagpur to smile as on fourth consecutive day on Friday, no person tested positive for coronavirus. It is the result of combine efforts of doctors, paramedical staff, police and administration. At present the total number of positive patients is 16. Out of these 16, four got discharged after they tested negative for two consecutive times. The current number of positive patients is 12. Out of the 12, nine are under quarantine at IGGMCH and 3 are at GMCH. According to treating doctors, all the positive patients are doing well and they have no symptoms. The examination of samples of 12 attendees of Markaz Tablighi Jamat at Nizamuddin was performed and all tested negative. Some more 35 samples are being examined whose reports may get released late night.
Period between day 7 and 14 is important People have lot of queries about the testing of suspects, positive ones. Many people feel if one tests negative, he or she is discharged. It is not complete truth. The person who has travel history, or in close contact with positive or anybody having travel history is admitted even if he or she is asymptomatic. If the sample is examined and it comes negative, still he or she is kept in isolation for fourteen day. The health of that person is monitored in case if he or she shows any symptoms. His samples are examined after 7 days and chances are there that the person may test positive. If still he or she doesn’t come positive one can say he or she is out of danger. According to expert doctors since there is no proper medicine for treating coronavirus the only treatment is isolation.