Mobile testing unit a boon for the vulnerable
BHUBANESWAR: With the capital still reporting high number of Covid-19 cases, the mobile testing facility here has proved to be a boon for the elderly, the differently abled and the pregnant.
In a little more than a month, the mobile van has tested 2,400 people, out of which 700 are senior citizens, 170 are pregnant women and 200 are differently abled. The rest are family caregivers and quarantined people. The mobile facility uses RT-PCR test.
On a daily basis, more than 50 samples are being collected through the mobile facility. This is exclusively meant for those whose mobility is restricted, said a BMC officer.
Based on people’s phone call to the control room at Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and from the field level, a provisional list of people to be tested is prepared. Then, it is validated by a dedicated team by calling each household. The final list is then prepared and given to Capital Hospital here to coordinate with the mobile facility. The mobile testing facility takes the list and moves from door to door to collect the swab sample for RT-PCR test, the officer added.
Sangram Sahoo, a resident whose 102-year-old mother-in-law had fever, recalled how the mobile testing van reached her quickly. “We made a call to the BMC control room and the testing van came within an hour. Thankfully, she was detected Covid positive at an early stage. She is being treated at home and recovering,” Sahoo said.
The city now is testing close to 5,000 samples daily, out of which the bulk is rapid antigen test. The mobile testing facility complements the testing camps being organized on a daily basis at health centres here. The camps have proved to be an effective platform for people to go for voluntary Covid test.
The capital city on Saturday reported 329 fresh cases, taking the total count to 22,876. On Saturday, 341 more patients recovered. With 100 deaths and 19,255 recoveries, the city now has 3,502 active cases.