There have been repeated delay in the supply of test kits from China. With Rajasthan performing well on containing the virus, this delay could prove to be costly.
Jaipur : Rajasthan government again sees a delay in the arrival of the first lot of COVID-19 rapid testing kits from China which was to be delivered today. The kit assists in the fast discovery of the COVID-19 virus in the human body.
“The kits for rapid testing of novel coronavirus that we were going to receive today are stuck at the Chinese port,” medical secretary, of Medical, Health & Family Welfare of Rajasthan, said.
“The state government had ordered 10 lakh kits, of which it was expecting the first consignment of two lakhs to arrive today. However the consignment hasn’t been sent yet,” said the chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot while addressing the media. “The central government’s order from China is also pending, so we can’t even take their help,” he added.
News reports suggest that by this week, India will receive the first consignment consisting of three lakhs fast test kits at Delhi that the customs in Guangzhou had approved yesterday. India is expected to import approximately two-three million kits from China in the next few weeks, according to these news reports .
The Rajasthan Government is focusing on the intensive monitoring, checking and quarantining of suspects to avoid COVID-19 from spreading in areas like Jaipur’s Ramganj and other regional hotspots. Hence, the delay in the consignment delivery of the rapid testing kits is proving to be an obstacle.
Dr. Hari Shankar, incharge of Coronavirus testing in the state, said, “Currently the state is doing well in terms of testing for the virus but to avoid an unprecedented situation, we need these kits to test people more quickly and rapidly.”
“The kits help us to quickly monitor patients with influenza-like signs of illness in places of low illness incidence and ensure that the COVID-19 cases do not soar,” Dr. Shankar said.
Sources in the local police authority said that as Ramganj is the epicenter of coronavirus in the state,the authorities have decided to convert 5800 flats into quarantine centers.These centers will be 20-25 kilometers away from the densely populated area in the city.
Local news suggests that 20,000 people will be accommodated in these quarantine centers.
As of now, 12,380 people have been infected with Covid-19 in India. The disease has claimed 414 lives.
