Varanasi: Increasing backlog of Covid-19 samples at BHU a worry for officials

VARANASI: Owing to the delay in testing Covid-19 samples piling up at the BHU-IMS lab, the district administration has sought the intervention of the university’s vice chancellor in streamlining the same. It also urged BHU VC to enhance the lab’s capacity in order to meet the requirement of Varanasi and surrounding districts.
The administration initiated this move in view of worries of not only Varanasi but also surrounding districts where the pandemic has begun to spread significantly due to the return of migrants in huge numbers.The delay in testing has led to delay in test reports which in turn has hindered immediate treatment. Varanasi DM Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “We were faced with an alarming situation on May 5 when report of a person, who had died on May 1, confirmed that he was Covid positive. Officials from neighbouring districts also contacted us for delayed release of reports. that is why, we have asked BHU VC to intervene and stramline arrangements by appointing any nodal officer who can efficiently coordinate with microbiology department laboratory, mortuary, isolation ward and other departments of IMS.”
“Reports of 580 samples of Varanasi alone is awaited from the lab, which has been testing only 1,000 samples per day,” said DM Sharma. “Samples from other districts linked with the lab have been arriving in large numbers and piling up. The university has testing machines available in other departments of IMS as well as at IIT-BHU. The officials concerned have been asked to increase the number of tests per day to clear backlog and enable the districts initiate timely action,” added the DM.