SHILLONG: The medical lab at Barpeta Medical College, which is testing several swabs from Meghalaya for COVID-19, has expressed its displeasure with the quality of door-to-door swab collection being conducted in the state.
Government sources said that the testing lab at Barpeta has conveyed to the state government officials here that the door-to-door collection of samples in Shillong for swab testing is not upto the mark and it is very difficult for them to come to any conclusion about the tests. “Officials from the lab have told us that the door-to-door swab samples are not giving accurate results and the government has been asked to maintain all protocols while conducting the door to door collection.
Several health workers of the state government, including ASHA workers in the state, are currently involved in door-to-door collection of samples of several people in the state.
When contacted, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said that the department is maintaining all the protocols and they would further try to address the shortcomings to improve the system.
He also advocated the need to conduct more tests in designated testing centres even as he added that the method of samples collected institutionally will be better than the ones conducted door to door.
Hek said the state will soon receive 4000 rapid test kits.
