Dentists roped in to ramp up Covid-19 testing

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, May 5

To ramp up Covid-19 testing, the District Health Department has decided to rope in dentists and laboratory staff. Following the strict directions from the State Health Department to expedite Covid-19 testing, the District Health Department today imparted training to the dentists and laboratory staff about the whole testing process, including how to take a sample of a suspected patient.

ENT Specialists Jaswinder Singh and Parsun Kumar along with District Epidemiologist Sumeet Singh and Microbiologist Swati imparted training about the RT-PCR sample collection technique during a training session at Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital today.

The experts also apprised the attendees about the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits as per the infection control guidelines.

Divulging details, Patiala Civil Surgeon Harish Malhotra said the Health Department would increase the testing in coming days. He informed the department was already conducting Covid-19 tests at the district hospital, three sub-divisional hospitals and Government Medical College. However, the department would now start testing at community health centres at Dudhan Sadhan, Patran, Ghanaur and Bhadson. The new centers are on the outskirts of the district.

With these new centers in the periphery, suspected patients would not be referred to the earlier testing centers, thereby, reducing the burden on hospitals, opined the experts.

He said, “Now, we will start testing at the block level. We have already formed 14 teams, including two mobile teams, to ramp up the testing.”