COVID19 is a global pandemic and Kanpur city is not an exception for same. This post is targeted to highlight few pointers where Govt support could be improved further for the betterment of the society, there is no denial that Govt is doing enough to fight this pandemic but there is always a scope of further improvements.
1. COVID19 Testing & Reporting -
Kanpur Administration has set number of testing Labs all across the Kanpur, collecting samples through 32 different PHC, UPHC and CHC. Apart from that there are 17 Mobile Labs collecting samples from the citizens therefore keeping no stone unturned to max out the testing reach.
While the testing reach looks sufficient, there is a lacklustre on the reporting part. RAT test reports are supposed to be conveyed immediately then and there whereas RT-PCR testing reports are supposed to be available after 48-72 hours of time window.
Health workers (depends on individuals) collect the samples and ask people to go back to their home and tell them in case of positive the patient would receive the phone call from the COVID CONTROL ROOM, otherwise after 3days patient may assume it to be a Negative report.
Even if you ask or try to enquire more about the reporting part, they would simply tell you that as an Health Worker, their job is to collect the samples and not to educate people about the reporting, with an advise to Call COVID Control Rooms for anything related to reporting, this is where most of the queries are shut down.
Suggestions -
This need to be fixed, where Health Workers should clearly tell the time and place of looking at the test results. A proper mechanism to handover the test results need to be established with the help of volunteers, NGOs, administration workers and setup. Also, test results should be announced on numerous web pages, Facebook pages with large fan followings, DM FB page or Popular blogs of the city. Worst case, use the newspaper to publish reports of individuals so that patients may keep the cutting of same as the hard copy proof of their testing reports.
2. The Hallet Wall - (I am still waiting for the photograph of that wall)
GSVM College is pasting the result of testing reports of sample collected there on a large wall, you really have to struggle with number of other people to hunt down among 100s of different listing to figure out if your name is there. This process is not "Covid Safe" as well as full of frustration.
In case, if you had given your sample at a PHC/UPHC/CHC then you will never find it there on this wall because for these sample collections, you need to visit another Govt Hospital - Ursula Hospital's wall to figure out your name among the lists.
SMS system barely works and only for very few patients occasionally. I had never found a person who has ever received the SMS.
SMS system need to be revived and reviewed for proper functionality.
3. Plasmatherapy and Absence of Positive to Negative Test Reports -
Multiple issues here as enumerated below:
3a. Since Donors (ex-Corona Patients) now don't have their positive and negative test reports, therefore BloodBank can't trust such donors.
3b. GSVM Blood Bank doesn't have the facility of testing Antibodies instantly as compared to LKO based Govt Hospital KGMU where they instantly test the Antibodies before extracting the Plasma from a patient, therefore nullifying the availability of positive and negative Corona Test Reports.
3c. So, GSVM BloodBank is asking Donors to get their Antibodies tested from a pvt lab that cost ranging from 600/- to 1800/- Rs and take 24-48 hours to provide the test results. This happens for a patient who is already in a critical situation and inching towards more deteriorated condition due to CoronaVirus with every passing minute. This is absolute time killer and badly administered process.
3d. On top of that, onus of finding PlasmaDonor is on the patient's family. This is a tedious task where it consumes around 24-48 hours convincing a PlasmaDonor for a patient. Search happens via multiple social media networks, family networks, whatsapp group, blood donation volunteers and coordinators. Later on patient family pays the cost of kit somewhere approx around 7500/- Rs, therefore making it cumbersome, inconvenient, decentralised and highly mismanaged system.
A total 4days delay in such a critical situation only worsens it for the patient for whom the struggle is ongoing.
Eminent and intelligent people of the city need to come forward and solve these problems, that would not only speed-up the recovery, reduce death rates but also save the already stressed family from such a large scale trouble.
