Seven of 10 facilities designated for coronavirus testing not in operation

A week into the government announcement on setting up 10 laboratories for coronavirus testing with the number of cases increasing, only three of those facilities have become operational.

The government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research had been conducting the tests on samples from oversees returnees only since the outbreak begun in China.

The tests expanded to close contacts of the returnees when they started falling ill. Only the IEDCR had the capacity to conduct the test in its lab in Dhaka.

Bangladesh reported the first three cases - two returnees from Italy and a close contact of one of the expatriates - on Mar 8. After the first death reported last week, the government said it is expanding testing facilities to some other facilities in the capital and beyond.

The three facilities designated for the coronavirus test in Dhaka are the Institute of Public Health, Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital.

Those outside Dhaka are Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases or BITID in Chattogram’s Faujdarhat, the IEDCR field laboratory in Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Khulna Medical College Hospital and Barishal Medical College Hospital.

Only the Institute of Public Health, Dhaka Shishu Hospital and BITID clicked into operation before Thursday.

Some of the others said they were yet to set up the lab while the others were awaiting testing kits and other equipment.

Meerjady Sabrina Flora, the director of IEDCR, said in an online media briefing that they were also conducting coronavirus test on suspected patients with comorbidity.

“We’ve expanded the testing services. Previously, we had been sending our workers to collect samples. Now the hospitals will collect samples and send those to us,” she said.