Thirty samples found to be positive in tests conducted in Jashore and Kushtia turned out to be negative in further tests carried out in Dhaka, raising serious concerns over the capability of labs set up at the district level.The contradictory reports drew huge criticisms in Chuadanga, putting the district health department in an embarrassing situation.
Even some of the netizens demanded exemplary punishment of those who are responsible for these unreliable tests.
According to Chuadanga Health Department, samples of 21 people of the district were tested in the labs of Jashore University of Science and Technology on April 23 and six of them were found positive.
Later, they sent 51 samples to Kushtia Medical College Hospital and found 28 of them positive for Covid-19 on April 26.
Two executive magistrates and a number of physicians were among the newly-diagnosed patients.
The local administration put the residences of the patients and their neighbours under lockdown to contain further transmission. Besides, the Alamdanga Upazila Health Complex was vacated and locked as seven of its physicians and 10 staffers were among the 34 patients.
However, the latest development caused an awful situation in the district.
Dr Shamim Kabir, resident medical officer at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, said the KMCH provided another report to them on April 26, stating that the tests of the 28 people are inconclusive.
Those samples will be sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research for further scrutiny, it added.
Dr ASM Maruf Hasan, civil surgeon of Chuadanga, said they got samples of all the 34 patients tested in the IEDCR and found 30 of them to be negative on Thursday night.
Three of the six who tested positive in Jashore and 27 of the 28 who tested in Kushtia were found not to be infected with the virus, he explained.
While talking to UNB, one of the two executive magistrates vented his anger, saying, “We never expect such performance from the health department on which we are relying the most amid this grave crisis.”
When approached, Kushtia Civil Surgeon Dr HM Anwarul Islam said they are embarrassed over the issue.
“A high-level delegation team from the IEDCR has already reached Kushtia to look into the issue,” he added.
Professor Mahabul Islam Selim, general secretary of civil society platform Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), told UNB that the contradictory reports created a trust deficit among people.
“There’s no way for the health department to underestimate the issue. The situation may worsen if immediate steps are not taken,” he added, reports UNB.
