While private laboratories received permission to test for COVID-19 early in the days of the outbreak, the authorities have now decided to stop the collection of samples at suspected patients’ homes. People will now be directed towards fever clinics in the city to get themselves tested.
On the other hand, people who want to get their tests done via a private lab can do so by heading over to their nearest authorized COVID-19 testing lab. The BMC has asked private labs not to charge more than Rs 4,500 for a single test. However, labs are found to be charging up to Rs 7,500 including service charges and the cost of PPEs (personal protective equipment).
Alternatively, people with moderate symptoms can now contact BMC’s helpline number 1916 and then receive instructions on the nearest fever clinics. The doctor at the fever clinic will then determine if the patient needs a test, thus helping streamline the process. The hope here is that this will take lesser time compared to private testing labs.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Commissioner (Health) at BMC said, “We are going to stop home collection of samples. Now, fever clinics will collect samples from suspected patients if they show any symptoms or have comorbid ailments.”
“If the doctor at a fever clinic thinks the individual requires testing, the medical staff will collect the samples and send them to our laboratories for testing. This will be free of cost,” he added.
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This basically means that people who cannot afford the private testing costs will simply have to visit a fever clinic near them or contact the helpline number 1916 to get a test.
This comes as several citizens have complained about a delay in getting their test results, which could be counterproductive in dealing with this outbreak. One of the key methods to identify early cases is via contact tracing of affected patients.
The authorities announced that out of the 5,700+ people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Mumbai 4,500 were identified via contact tracing. This accounts for nearly 78% of all COVID-19 positive cases in Mumbai.
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