Corona PCR test could be done by government for only 80 persons for a day

Corona PCR test could be done by government for only 80 persons for a day

It is a special factor that the first corona infected Sri Lankan was so identified in an institution not belonging to the health ministry and that there is a risky situation in the case of identifying future corona infected patients, chairman of medical laboratory science says. 

At present the method of practice of identifying the corona virus is 'Corona PCR' test. For that purpose facilities are presently provided only for medical laboratory. The number of tests that could
be done there for a day is limited to eighty and it is in that laboratory that sick conditions of all citizens in this island in that laboratory. Though results of this test could be released within a maximum of 6 hours, because of an extensive load of representations that stock up, that time period could run into several days. 

Though availability of conducting corona PCR test and other laboratories with relevant equipment with services of laboratory technicians are existent in basic hospitals at Karapitiya, Kandy and Anuradhapura, such tests have still not been started and what is necessary in such instances is only directing the relevant PCR reactionary sets etcetera only, chairman of medical laboratory health professionals association Mr. Ravi Kumadesh says. 

He further says that, at the necessity of certain officers of medical research institute, a suspicion has cropped up that some sort of 'corona authority' emerges. He next points out that when all things are such, with the first corona patient of Sri Lanka being identified at an institution which does not belong to the medical research institute alone subjects the methodology preliminarily linked to that institution. He also points out that South Korea has devised urgent test sets which could make the detection in a short period of time such as 20 minutes. He points out that if necessary results could be ordered and obtained within a few days. 

Further, when there is a possibility of detecting the disease in three days, in order to minimise the days spent for quarantine; and that latest practices of laboratory science not being made used and that it just cannot be a case of lack of knowledge, he says. As it is normal nature in an epidemic to find the second, and third more than the first, he points out that the necessity of the public to diagnose the sickness from the following day itself rises and that if neglect is exercised in that regard any further, problems would crop up and that supplies cannot be met according to demand. He finally said that a private hospital coming forward for that purpose is a matter of satisfaction; but the only hitch is that everybody would find it difficult to bear it.