Jamshedpur, Aug 18: The East Singhbhum district health department embarked on massive rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 at the steel city and in its rural areas of the district.
Though the health department had a target to carry out all 10,000 tests on a single day covering both the urban areas as well as the rural areas of the district, it could not achieve the numbers. The drive will continue tomorrow too. The drive was carried from 8 am to continue till 4 pm.
Jharkhand health department has launched a rapid antigen testing drive for two days in four districts which have high cases.These districts are Palamu, East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur), Ranchi and Dhanbad.
It is a pilot project aimed at identifying the infected persons and containing the virus and 10,000 persons will be tested in each district.
“Presently this is a pilot project for two days. But we will put continuous efforts. If some independent agencies, following all rules, come forward, we may tie-up with them. Our aim is to treat and cure maximum number of people,”said an official.
The health department has issued instructions to deputy commissioners of all four districts for effective execution of the testing drive. Guidelines for the effective use of the testing resources and other protocols have also been provided.
District civil surgeon, Dr RN Jha said that for carrying out such a test one does need a conventional laboratory.
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) detect the presence of viral proteins (antigens) expressed by the Covid-19 virus in a sample taken from the respiratory tract of a person.� If the target antigen is present in sufficient concentrations in the sample, it will bind to specific antidotes fixed to a paper strip enclosed in a plastic casing.
The rapid antigen tests were carried out in Jamshedpur and in 10 blocks across the East Singhbhum district.
The sources said in Jamshedpur 16 sample collection-cum-test centres have been identified for the rapid antigen tests, whereas in the rural areas of the district 160 such centres have been set up. About 380 medical personnels, including doctors and technicians are attending the massive test drive, all wearing PPE kits during the day-long programme.
� The state government has identified some nursing homes and hospitals in Jamshedpur. If they don’t improve and go against human values in the name of Covid-19, stringent action will be taken. Even they may lose their registration,” he said.
