Cumilla hospital suspends COVID-19 tests 'due to kit shortage'

Cumilla Medical College Hospital has reportedly suspended the novel coronavirus infection tests two days ago because of the shortage of kits, reports news agency UNB.

Following this, the district health department has stopped collecting samples from the suspected patients, causing a huge public outcry.

Mustafa Kamal Azad, principal of the medical college, confirmed the matter saying Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory of the hospital is currently shut.

The hospital had been testing samples since it launched the facility on 29 April.

A total of 6,900 testing kits were provided to the hospital by the government. Due to excessive number of samples, all the kits were used by Friday.

As a result, the authorities had to suspend coronavirus testing.

Currently, over 1,000 samples await testing at the PCR laboratory.

Nisarga Meraz Choudhury, coordinator of Cumilla coronavirus infection prevention committee, said they cancelled sample collection due to the kit crisis.

“We’re not receiving samples without emergency cases. We’ll resume the activities once the testing begins,” he added.

Mustafa Kamal was optimistic that they would soon be able to resume the testing facility.

“We were informed from the high ups that the imported kits are now at airport. We’ll resume testing activities as soon as we get the kits,” he added.

Bangladesh continues to witness surge in novel coronavirus cases as it reported 2,635 new cases across the country on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 63,026.

Besides, a total of 846 people have so far lost their lives.