JAMSHEDPUR: Amid the spike in Covid-19 cases, the East Singhbhum district health department lacks kits to conduct sample testing of the suspected carriers of the contagious virus. The department officials said RT-PCR and TrueNAT kits are over and they are only left with Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits.
"At present, the tests are being conducted on RAT devices," said civil surgeon Dr Jujhar Manjhi.
The official said they have sent a requisition letter to the state health department to provide them with the RT-PCR and TrueNAT kits. Covid testing at public places like railway stations, bus terminus, and market places would be resumed upon availability of the kits. Moreover, the state department is yet to issue orders to conduct tests at public points, he added.
Meanwhile, the Tata Motors hospital is conducting RT-PCR tests at their premises.
With 54 active cases reported on Wednesday, the district has been logging in five to seven new cases daily in the past two weeks. The urban circle, comprising the three municipal towns of Jamshedpur, Mango, and Jugsalai, is contributing an overwhelming number of the cases to the Covid graph. "Six to seven patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital while the rest are under home isolation. The corona cases are being detected on a regular basis since the past few days. Most of the cases are mild and asymptomatic," the civil surgeon said.
Two people have died of corona between March and April, while the infected persons included two infants of nine and 12 months' old, besides the elderly people, Dr Manjhi stated.
Further, Dr Manjhi said the hospitals empanelled by the government for Covid-19 treatment have been put on alert mode to meet any exigency.
An official at the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) office said the private agencies that assisted the district health department in sample testing during the second wave of Covid-19 are yet to receive funds worth Rs 2 crore due since 2021-22. "Until state government settles the due, it is difficult to seek the help of the said private agencies in conducting fresh round of testing," he added.
With 1,143 deaths and 70,346 recoveries, the district has reported 71,533 Covid-19 cases between May 12, 2020 and April 19, 2023.
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