Health Ministry urged not to reduce PCR testing during lookdowns

By Rathindra Kuruwita

A reduction in PCR testing had made it difficult for the health workers to gauge the effect of the current lockdown on the tranmission of the virus, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President Ravi Kumudesh said yesterday.

Kumudesh told The Island that while the number of reported cases had been dropping, the number of deaths were rising.

“The decrease in PCR testing has led to this situation. The Health Ministry made the same mistake in March and April,” Kumudesh said.

“The people are making a lot of sacrifices, especially the daily wage earners. They have a right to know what’s going on. Only through testing can we figure out whether our strategies are working,” Kumudesh said.

The CMLS President said that after imposing travel restrictions, the government had not conducted random tests. “Therefore, we are in no position to say whether there has been a decline in cases.

“Even if the Health Ministry does nothing, COVID-19 will run its course and things will return to normal eventually. But how many vulnerable people will die if we try to achieve herd immunity like this? We don’t need a health service if we are running a system that ensures the survival of the fittest,” he said.

Kumudesh said that the Health Ministry was capable of increasing PCR testing by 300% overnight with existing machines and the personnel. “None of the state-run medical labs are operating at full capacity. The facilities can operate 24 hours a day and there are facilities and personnel to carry out the tasks. All our members are willing to work longer hours given the pandemic situation,” Kumudesh said.

His association’s had requested that rapid antigen tests be conducted on suspected COVID infected OPD patients, but it had gone unheeded. The delays in the PCR tests conducted at state institutions had impeded surgical and medical procedures, he said.