With a population of 1.5 crore, Mymensingh division has only one Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab atthe microbiology department of Mymensingh Medical College.
188 samples are tested in two shifts each day and more than 700 samples are still awaiting testing as more Covid-19 samples have arrived at the hospital recently.
Mymensingh Medical College principal Professor Dr Chitta Ranjan Debnath said, “Due to severe pressure, 500 samples were sent to Dhaka for testing.”
“A PCR machine has been brought from Bangladesh Agricultural University and it will start testing samples next week”, said prof Debnath.
Jamalpur Civil Surgeon Abu Saeed Mahbubur Rahman said a proposal has been sent to the ministry to set up a PCR lab at Jamalpur Medical College and is waiting for approval.
The former principal of Mymensingh Medical College Dr Matiur Rahman Bhuiyan said, he has requested the concerned authority to set up two more PCR labs at Jamalpur and Netrokona Medical College for testing coronavirus samples.
