Coronavirus: Tripura sets up mobile van for COVID-19 testing

Agartala, Apr 28 () Taking a cue from Kerala, theAgartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Smart City Project hasbuilt a mobile COVID-19 testing van in which swab samples arecollected by medical experts from inside a glass encasementminimising their risk of exposure to novel coronavirus.

This kind of testing van is the first-of-its kind inthe northeastern region, a top AMC official said.

The three-wheeler van can negotiate through narrowlanes and facilitate easy sample collection from the entirecommunity, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said.

It will also cut down on Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) wastage, the chief minister said.

AMC Commissioner Dr Sailesh Kumar Yadav said, with noCOVID-19 patient in any Tripura hospital anymore, and thestate now placed under green zone, kiosks are placed on vansto serve as COVID-19 testing vehicles for carrying out rapidrandom community testing.

"We have made the device seeing the Kerala model oftesting where stationary testing kiosks are placed in front ofhospitals.

"We can now undertake rapid random community testingby using these vans. Medical experts can collect swab samplesof people from inside a glass encasement, so there is nochance of having any physical contact," the AMC commissionersaid.

Yadav, who is also the head of the Smart City Project,said that the device is expected to reduce the necessity ofusing new PPE every time samples are collected during randomtesting.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of West Tripura districtDebasish Das said that the mobile testing van is being used inMaharajganj Bazaar and other prominent markets of the capitalcity to collect samples from people who are found to have hightemperature during thermal scanner checking on them.

"If anyone is found to have high temperature, then hisswab samples are collected and sent to the GB Pant hospitalfor testing. Gradually this kind of vans would be be sent toother towns of the state," Das said.

West Tripura district health surveillance officer Dr.Sangeeta Chakraborty said, the mobile testing unit had firstcollected swabs from doctors and paramedics under quarantine,who had earlier treated COVID-19 patients in the hospital.

The chief minister took to Facebook and wrote,"Agartala Smart City project has designed a mobile van forCOVID-19 sample collection and handed it over to West TripuraChief Medical Officer. It ensures safety of doctors duringcollection of samples and prevents wastage of PPE. Thisthree-wheeler van can easily ply narrow lanes and facilitateeasy sample collection from entire community.

"Now patients wouldnt need to go to hospitals toprovide samples. Besides, it will help in testing large numberof tests in short period of time. JOYMM MM