Rajkot: Man booked for illegal Covid-19 test

RAJKOT: A multi-purpose contractual health worker of Porbandar has been booked for negligence towards the seriousness of Covid and causing health hazard.
According to an FIR registered with the Kamlabaug police of Porbandar on Friday night, medical officer of Visavada primary health centre, Chandni Depani, health worker Lila Karavadra who had been attached with the Vadala sub-centre for the past three months collected sample of Covid-19 without authority and sent it testing to a private laboratory of Jamnagar in unauthorized vehicle.
The FIR alleged that by taking samples without authority he was risking the life of others, he was booked under IPC sections 269, 336 and The Gujarat Medical Practice act’s section 30.
According to the complaint Karavadra, who not a lab technician nor authorized to collect any such samples, was only assigned the duty to assist the team of infectious disease control, provide necessary service to the Covid patients and complete formalities of declaring containment zone and educate residents in the neighbourhood.
However, on November 2, he collected sample of one Hardik Parmar and sent it for testing to Jamnagar metropolis pathology specialist where the sample tested positive of the virus. Karavadra also collected samples of another Vrajlal Parmar on November 9 and the latter too tested positive.
District development officer of Porbandar, V K Advani said, “According to law only lab technician is authorized to collect the samples of a patient, as any other person may hurt the patient. This accused has not studied anything about collecting samples and is not trained. He was taking samples for a private laboratory though he was working with the district health department.”
According to health department the accused was sending samples in buses and private vehicles without understanding the seriousness of the matter. Such samples need special preservation and transportation in specific temperatures only.
“For RTPCR test, samples should be kept in 2 to 8 degrees for first 24 hours and up to four days it should be preserved in minus 20 degrees. If the tempered sample gives negative report of a positive person this may create a bigger problem,” Advani added.