Noida: 35 spend days in COVID-19 ward, courtesy false tests
In a clear case of negligence, 35 people in Noida were forced to remain inside a COVID-19 ward for three days after private labs falsely declared them coronavirus positive, NDTV reported on Wednesday. The individuals complained of mild fever and cough — both coronavirus symptoms — and were advised tests by private doctors they consulted. The labs have been served notices by Noida administration.
After they went to private labs, all of them tested positive. It was only after their samples were sent to National Institute of Virology that it was learned that the people hadn't contracted the virus. This alarmed healthcare officials. During the entire time, the bunch remained admitted to government isolation facilities, among people who had actually tested positive.
A subsequent probe suggested the labs weren't careful in collecting the samples and didn't maintain optimum temperature. "Six labs have come to our notice over lapses in COVID-19 tests. An FIR has been filed against one and we have sent a notice to the others," said Deepak Ohri, Noida Chief Medical Officer. The guidelines were violated too, he added.
Ohri said some of the labs were not even certified by the Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR), the top body leading the fight against coronavirus, to conduct the tests. They were plainly doing it for money and are learned to have charged somewhere between Rs. 4,500 and Rs. 5,000 for one test. The 35 people have been discharged but are being monitored.
The coronavirus tally in Noida stands at 1,119. The administration has taken serious steps to ensure the infections don't spike. In this quest, Noida decided to seal the border with Delhi, which is emerging as a coronavirus hotspot in India.
