National Committee suggests collecting 5 lakh testing kits soon

The National Technical Advisory Committee, which has been formed to tackle the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, Tuesday suggested collecting five lakh testing kits within a short time.

"It's very necessary to collect five lakh testings kit within the shortest time. It's important to send essential amounts of samples to the reference laboratories and ensure the quality of the labs," said the committee during a meeting, adding that people involved with sample collection, transportation and storage have to be trained properly.

The advisory committee also recommended the laboratories to remain open for 24 hours.

The committee also said that it's necessary to test more people in more places so that the test results come fast. Currently, only people with coronavirus symptoms, who are going to the testing facilities are being tested for the virus.

But in order to control the disease, people who are not going to the testing facilities even after showing mild symptoms need to be identified and tested.

Regarding the quality of services provided the hospital, the advisory committee said that it's logical to choose well-equipped and established hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients. Makeshift hospitals can treat patients, who have mild or medium symptoms. The hospitals that are designated to treat Covid-19 patients should have enough young and senior doctors.

The committee also suggested making the quality of services better by increasing the number of ward boys and cleaners. Besides that, hospitals should provide doctors and nurses with enough protective equipment. Masks need to be provided to the health workers, who will be dealing with critical patients and thus, will be more vulnerable to the infection.

The advisory committee suggested having an expert committee who will ensure that the protective equipment are up to the mark. Safe drinking water has to be provided for the patients, doctors and others in the coronavirus designated hospitals. In order to do that, enough water filters have to be managed.

The advisory committee also suggested of having adequate facilities for tests that coronavirus patients need to do. These include -- CBC, SGPT, Creatinine, Electrolytes, CRP, CPK, Troponin-1, Chest X-ray, ECG. Corona designated hospitals should have enough labs and microbiologist, virologist and technologist who can perform the tests.

The advisory committee also said that developed countries are starting the treatment of Covid-19 patients based on their symptoms and x-ray of their chest. As the country is currently going through the community transmission phrase, the committee suggested starting to treat the patients based on the symptoms and chest x-ray, adding that coronavirus tests can be conducted after the patient gets admitted into the hospital.

The committee suggested having pre-plan and preparations in case an increased number of doctors, nurses, medical technologists and health workers get infected with the virus.

The advisory committee came up with several lines of action to increase the quality of service. They made separate suggestions for pregnant women, children, infants, and patients with heart diseases or kidney failure.

Critical coronavirus patients need to be put under the intensive care unit. The committee suggested building enough intensive care units in all corona designated hospitals.

The hospitals should have enough ventilators and other relevant pieces of machinery. Enough anaesthetists need to be appointed. The committee also mentioned that there are people in the country who can work as the anaesthetists, and they need to be appointed immediately.

Health workers at the designated hospitals should work in three shifts, with one senior member from the authorities coordinating the shift, the committee suggests.

The committee recommended taking suggestions from the experts before making any attempt to relaxing the measures taken to curb the spread of the virus.

Most of the countries have started a clinical trial of potential vaccines. Many developing countries have joined with them. Mentioning that, the committee suggested Bangladeshi experts and scientists make attempts to joining with those clinical trials.