Saptari, August 27
Over 4,000 swab samples collected from eight districts of Province 2 are yet to be tested for coronavirus.
As of Wednesday, the backlog contains 4,113 swab samples. Of them, 1,027 are from Saptari, 800 from Sarlahi, 700 from Dhanusha, 450 from Mahottari, 381 from Bara, 322 from Siraha, 258 from Rautahat, and 175 from Parsa.
There are four coronavirus test labs in the province: two in Birgunj, and one each in Rajbiraj and Janakpurdham. A lab in Birgunj is operated by the federal government whereas the other by Birgunj metropolitan city. Two other labs in Rajbiraj and Janakpurdham are operated by the provincial government.
Duniya Lal Yadav, the acting chief of the District Health Office in Saptari, the district where swab samples are in the backlog in the highest number, says other labs except the one in Rajbiraj have refused to test the samples from the district, resulting in the problem.
Dr Ranjit Jha, acting medical superintendent of Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital of Rajbiraj, says the lab has been testing around 350 samples per day. Further, neighbouring Siraha district is sending 200 to 300 samples every day, according to him. He says it has been taking around five days for the lab to issue a report.
Likewise, Janakpur-based Provincial Lab’s chief Shrawan Kumar Mishra says the collection of more samples than the capacity every day has resulted in the backlog.
