Virus in Cumilla Medical College lab, Covid-19 test closed for five days

CUMILLA, Dec 07: The coronavirus has spread in the lab of the microbiology department of Cumilla Medical College (CMC) and hospital forcing authorities to suspend the coronavirus testing activities for five days.

During the coronavirus test on November 30, the people working there noticed that the virus had spread in the lab. Later, from December 01, the CMC authorities stopped the coronavirus test completely. The lab has not been virus free in the last six days.

Cumilla Medical College announced the closure of coronavirus test from Saturday night. Principal Mostafa Kamal Azad confirmed the matter on Sunday.

Principal Mostafa Kamal Azad has confirmed the closure of coronavirus test at Cumilla Medical College.

Meanwhile, patients have been suffering following coronavirus testing closure in the CMC lab for the last 6 days. Many have not received a report even with a corona sample for a week. In addition, those who have symptoms of corona are also suffering. However, expatriates have suffered the most.

According to CMC sources, coronavirus detection activities using PCR method started from April 29 this year in the microbiology department on the second floor of the academic building of Cumilla Medical College. At first the test started through one machine but later another machine was installed. The corona test at Cumilla Medical College has been completely closed since December 01.

According to the District Civil Surgeon's Office, the district health department is suffering due to the sudden stoppage of corona test at Cumilla Medical College. The Civil Surgeon's Office has stopped collecting samples as the PCR lab is closed. However, samples of expatriates are being collected and sent to various labs of Noakhali University of Science and Technology, Chittagong, Dhaka for testing. But it is getting late to get the sample results from these labs. Expatriates are also suffering like ordinary patients.

Meanwhile, a source said that the corona test labs have been set up at two private hospitals in Cumilla City. Many speculate that the CMC's corona test has been shut down in a bid to give the two private labs a chance. However, the CMC authorities have claimed that this notion is baseless.

A resident of the city named Shamsul Alam said, "I gave samples for coronavirus testing on November 29 but even after seven days, the test results have not been received yet.

District Civil Surgeon Dr. Mohammad Neatuzzaman said, "Since December 30, the CMC authorities have not provided us with any report. Later I found out that the virus had spread in their PCR lab. We have also stopped sample collection as CMC Lab is closed. However, samples of those who will go abroad are being sent to Dhaka, Chittagong and Noakhali after collection. It is also getting late to get the report", he added.

Mostafa Kamal Azad, principal of Cumilla Medical College, said, "We also tested for coronavirus on November 30." On that day, the people working in the lab suddenly noticed that the detection rate had increased a lot. We later found out that the coronavirus had spread throughout the lab. We first tried to resolve the issue locally, but could not.

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