VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR
Chatra, May 9: Preparation has started for the installation of the RTPCR machine which has been lying unused since last November at Chatra Sadar Hospital. Engineers will come from Calcutta to install the advanced machine purchased for Rs 1 crore. Once installed, this machine will conduct tests for covid, chikungunya, encephalitis, swine flu, bird flu, measles, rubella, hepatitis B and HIV.
Sources said the hospital management has taken the decision to get this machine installed in the burn ward. They said preparation has started in this regard with engineers scheduled to come here in the coming days for the installation.
So far, the district has been sending samples to the neighbouring Hazaribag or RIMS Ranchi to get the tests done. Health officials said that two lab technicians have been sent to RIMS for advanced training to handle the RT-PCR machine. The two technicians are Sanjeet Kumar of Kunda primary health centre and Kamlesh Kumar of Jori Centre.
According to sources, after the trouble in conducting the tests and on seeing that it took more than ten days to receive the results from other districts, a request to buy an RT-PCR machine for Chatra Sadar Hospital was made to the state government last year. The machine reached here in November. They said as covid threat is still there so a decision was taken for its installation.
District epidemic control officer Ashutosh Kumar confirmed this development. He said two technicians got training in Ranchi to operate the machine. We will get the machine installed soon, he added.
