Some labs in Bangladesh have been unable to conduct Covid-19 tests due to trouble in operating the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine for various reasons.
However, the government gave directives to conduct at least 10,000 tests a day in this month and gradually increase it to 15,000.
On Thursday, Health Minister Zahid Maleque revealed plans of increasing the number of tests across the country to 15,000 per day.
It will be tough to achieve the mark if the labs fail to complete the target of testing samples in each day.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), six out of the total 41 labs in the country are facing trouble to conduct tests.
The labs are, Mugda Medical College and General Hospital, Institute of Public Health (IPH), National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital and Dhaka University Centre for Advance Research in Science.
However, a DGHS official said “Despite, we received report from labs, but we did not incorporate results of some testing labs on Saturday. That is why some lab’s testing result figure shown zero. Except for one or two others labs are continuing test.”
According to the DGHS, on Saturday a total of 6,782 tests were reported while 3,724 samples tested at Dhaka and 3,058 were tested outside of Dhaka. However, a total number of 8,582 samples were tested on Friday, which was around 2,500 lower than the previous day.
DGHS Additional Director General (ADG) Nasima Sultana said: “We did not receive results from some of the labs yesterday (May 16). Labs can remain closed for a short time, to disinfect them and increase their capability.”
When asked about the number of labs facing problems to provide proper results, she said: “Machines can malfunction, however the IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research) checks the quality of the tests conducted.”
Since May 12, no tests have been conducted at the Mugda Medical College lab, which started just a month ago.
The lab was conducting 150-190 tests every day, however, they found out that all tests were coming positive. So, they stopped and sent 90 samples to another lab for re-testing, of which only 22 tested positive.
IEDCR Director Meerjady Sabrina Flora said: “We cannot comment on a specific lab. However, we have been collecting samples from different labs to check the quality of the tests conducted.”
“DGHS is in charge of checking the fault in the machines and the contamination of labs,” she added.
Mugda Medical College Principal Dr Shah Golam Nabi said: “A biosafety level 2 standard lab is required to test the coronavirus and we have stopped conducting tests due to errors in the machine.”
“We are talking with the experts to resume the lab again. Hopefully, we will reopen within a couple of days,” he added.
As the coronavirus gradually spread out across the country, the government has taken initiatives to increase the number of labs. Currently, 41 labs are conducting coronavirus tests.
To mitigate the increasing demand of tests, the DGHS has procured 31 RT-PCR machines. However, these machines are of a very old model and can hardly conduct tests.
Name of lab | Quantity of tests |
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology | 126 |
BSMMU | 207 |
Holy Child and Research Foundation | 177 |
Dhaka Medical College | 166 |
ICDDR’B | 599 |
Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives | 93 |
IEDCR | 527 |
Institute of Laboratories Medicine and Referral Center | 1154 |
Bangladesh livestock Research Institute | 144 |
Central Police Hospital | 360 |
Square Hospital | 149 |
Ibn Sina Medical College | 22 |
Test figure in Dhaka on Saturday. Source-DGHS
The DGHS has procured Thermofisher 7500 model RT-PCR machines (2009). However, a latest version of this machine is also available.
An older model can smoothly conduct only 90-100 tests in 24-hours. Whereas, a new model machine can conduct 250-270 tests per day.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) former vice chancellor Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan said: “The quality of machines, proper management of labs and the skills of virologists and pathologists are the most important things to conduct proper tests and get correct results.”
“The government should ensure the quality of a machine rather than the number of labs,” he added.
