PUNE: State health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said he had directed all the districts to increase RT-PCR tests to detect Covid-19 infection because it comprised only 47% of the total testing in the seven-day period from July 1 to 7, two weeks after the government insisted on it to assess the weekly positivity rate.
Tope told TOI, “We have issued directions to districts to increase laboratory set-ups or get more mobile laboratories to enhance RT-PCR tests.
All the laboratories have been directed to optimise the capacity to at least two lakh tests per day.”
Health officials said all districts had been asked to ramp up testing facilities by connecting with nearest districts. “Under Pune division, Solapur and Sangli have requested for more collection centres so that they can use laboratories in Pune,” a health department official said.
In the first week of July, Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) comprised 53% of all the Covid tests conducted in the state. Just 14 districts conducted more than 50% RT-PCR tests.
Most RT-PCR tests were conducted in Parbhani (85%), closely followed by Nagpur (83%), Pune (63%) and Mumbai (61%). Solapur district conducted the lowest RT-PCR tests — just 13%.
State public health officials stressed that the districts of concern remained those conducting less than 25% RT-PCR tests. (See graphic)
Tope, the health minister, sought real-time update of the test reports on the public health portal. He also said the hospitals overcharging patients would face action. He told auditors to ensure that the bills were properly checked.
