PCR testing at Birgunj-based Naryani Hospital halted since Sunday
Jun 23, 2020 under National 834
BIRGUNJ: Birgunj-based Narayani Hospital has discontinued RT-PCR testing of Covid-19 since Sunday.
It has been learnt that the testing has been halted at the hospital lab since the last three days owing to the insufficiency of PCR kits.
Chief of the laboratory at the Hospital, Dr Nira Pathak confirmed that the laboratory has been unoperationational due to shortage of PCR reagents.
It has also been learnt that the Ministry of Health had sent PCR kits to the laboratory. However, the reagents did not match the machines at the laboratory, making available kits useless.
Although the mismatch has been reported to the Ministy, it has ordered the hospital to hold testing for now.
Province 2 has the highest concentration of Covid-19 cases in the country.
The halting of the PCR testing, which is a reliable medical test for the detection of the coronavirus-infection, at a time when the conducted tests are already insufficient could further add to the risk of transmission.
