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Covid test result delayed, patient from Ghaziabad appeals on TwitterBy Hindustan Times

A few patients in the isolation ward of the MMG Hospital in Ghaziabad are a worried lot as their Covid-19 test reports have been delayed by five to six days, so much so that one of them took to Twitter and tagged the Prime Minister's Office, among others, to highlight his plight.

Ghaziabad chief medical officer (CMO) Dr NK Gupta said generally, Covid-19 test reports are received in two to three days and his department was trying to expedite the process in the case of these patients.

A 29-year-old IT professional said he came to the hospital voluntarily after he developed fever. He said he arrived at MMG Hospital on March 31 and his sample was collected the next day.

"It's been five days but I am yet to get the report. I had developed a mild fever and I came here for tests on March 31. There are 11 others like me whose samples were collected on April 1 and they are also yet to get their reports," the 29-year-old man, who resides in Indirapuram, told HT over phone.

"My family stays in Punjab and they are also worried about me. If our tests are negative, we should be allowed to go home. But the doctors say they are yet to get the reports," he added.

A patients also took to social media with his grievance. The IT professional posted on Twitter about the delayed test reports and tagged Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister's Office, Union Minister Smriti Irani, Delhi CM's office, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, among others.

He also posted his mobile phone number and stated that the staff and doctors will be responsible if anything happens to him. He said if the government wants to save people, then it should start looking into what is happening at the government hospitals as by keeping positive and negative suspects together will not help contain the virus.

Another IT professional, who lives in Vijay Nagar, said he had arrived from Nigeria on March 22.

"On March 29, I developed a mild fever and cold. So I decided to get myself tested. My sample was taken on March 30. I was told that the report will come in 24 hours. But , it is April 5 and I am yet to receive my report. My family in Varanasi is worried," he said.

"The officials told us that as per the revised policy, three samples will be taken from each patient and we will have to remain in isolation for 14 days. I am ready to stay for 14 days. But if I am negative, I should be shifted to the quarantine ward," he said.

Another patient who lives in Vijay Nagar and works with Noida-based company, Ceasefire, said that he arrived at the isolation ward with four others on April 1.

"We, too, are yet to get our test reports. Our samples were taken on April 1. None of us has symptoms at present," he said.

Dr Gupta said it generally takes three days to get the results. "Some reports are received in a day while others arrive within two or three days. Some reports may also take up to fie days. However, we will enquire why the reports are delayed. Patients should not worry. We will also ask our counselling team to speak to them," he said.

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