Telangana facing a testing crisis
Testing centres staff were instructed to judiciously use testing kits only to conduct tests on people showing clear symptoms
Hyderabad: Telangana state faces an immediate crisis of underreporting of Covid-19 cases with many testing centres turning people back citing lack of testing kits. Reports from several testing centres in the state indicate that the testing centres staff were instructed to “judiciously” use them only to conduct tests on people showing clear symptoms. In many places, people without symptoms or those who came into contact with individuals who tested positive and wanted to get checked, were turned away.
Earlier in the day, a note circulated by the office of health minister Etala Rajendar said the minister was to write a letter to the Union health minister to “airlift” testing kits from anywhere in the world to Telangana state. With more and more people turning up to get tested, the government is taking steps to ensure there are no shortfalls, the minister was quoted by the note as saying.
The turning away of people from testing centres comes at a time when Telangana is reporting an explosion of fresh Covid-19 cases and increasing number of deaths each day.
Infograph
Testing times
April 17 - 129637
April 18 – 83089*
April 19 - 122143
April 20 - 130105
April 21 - 102335
April 22 - 105602
April 23 - 103770
*Weekend dip in testing