DOCTORS have urged the government to work on improving the
turnaround time of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test results for coronavirus
(Covid-19) which they say is way too long.
PCR tests are being done to check for the presence of
Covid-19 in human beings.
So far in Zimbabwe
results have been taking between two and three days to be ready while patients are
waiting for them at home.
Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) said
this is risky as positive Covid-19 patients could be spreading the virus in
their homes without knowing within those three days.
“We commend the government for decentralising testing to
Mpilo Hospital and implore that more centres be opened. We are however
concerned with the long turnaround time for results. In some of the scenarios,
suspected cases waiting for the PCR tests results will have been told to go
home and wait for a phone call to avail their results.
With the current decentralisation of services, the ministry
can utilise the available counselling services from counsellors, nurses and
doctors in the different units to take part in availing results,” the doctors
said in a statement.
Doctors said there is need for training of those
responsible for divulging results to avoid situations whereby results are
shared on social media before their owners are informed.
This comes after a Bulawayo nurse who recently tested
positive for Covid-19 and identified herself as #case 15 complained that she
saw her results on social media before getting formal communication from health
officials.
Health and Childcare minister Obadiah Moyo said PCR results
take long as they have to test samples from all over the country in only two
centres.
“The reason why our results take longer to come out is to
do with the testing scheme. We have to batch the samples which will be coming
from all over the country. The testing system itself takes a long time before
you get the results.
“We have the PCR system which takes five hours and part of
that testing system requires that after the samples have been taken from the
patient, you have to extract it and then do what are called Oral or Nasal-phyryngial
Swabbing,” Moyo said. Daily News
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