LAHORE: The health workers engaged for the Covid-19 testing in Lahore are reportedly committing standard operating procedures (SOPs) violations, posing risks to health and lives of the people being more vulnerable to the virus for exposure to the virus patients.

They are neither wearing protective gear, particularly gloves and face masks, nor are following the SOPs introduced by the Punjab government.

The medical experts have already declared the nasal swab testing a very sensitive and technical job that must be done by experienced staff to ensure accuracy of the maximum test results. However, complaints about the health workers regarding their uncovered faces while obtaining samples are increasing manifold.

A blatant violation was witnessed on Monday when a team of the ‘health experts’ visited the government school in Model Town and the team members were not properly equipped with the kits. They collected nasal swabs of students of various classes without wearing face masks and safety gear, leaving the schoolteachers and administration flabbergasted, an official, privy to the information, told Dawn.

He said a schoolboy questions to the practice of the health workers when he saw one of them approaching him without gloves and face mask. While ignoring the boy’s objections, the health official held him roughly from his arm and obtained nasal swab in a rude way, the official said and added that the worker had inserted a long stick into the nose of the boy with a very poor technique, causing him immense pain. He said the health worker treated most of the schoolchildren roughly and unprofessionally while collecting samples, prompting the children to complain to their parents after school time. Many students complained to the schoolteachers as well about the unbearable pain they had to face when the health workers, lacking techniques, inserted sticks to get nasal swabs.

Similar complaints were also reported from the Nisthar Town areas when two health workers were dispatched to the streets to collect samples from select homes, the health official said. An eyewitness said the workers were carrying a shopping bag having some sticks and other tools to draw nasal swabs and sight of the ill-equipped workers horrified the residents of the streets.

The workers reached the locality while walking down the street instead of using official vehicle while they were not wearing the uniform provided by the health department or jackets to show their identity.

None of them was having a kit, said the eyewitness who added that the health department workers were seen knocking at the doors and introducing themselves as the health department’s swab team.

On being asked, the health workers revealed to the residents that they were hired on daily wages by the government for this technical and sensitive testing and were unpaid for the last three months or so. As they tried to get samples, the people refused to get tested by them. The local residents later complained to the health authorities to take notice of the situation.

A spokesperson for the health department said the teams visiting the city areas for the Covid-19 testing had been provided with complete kits and they were supposed to use them before collecting samples. He said the Punjab government had provided the department with sufficient stock of the preventive equipment kits, saying that the matter would be inquired into to fix the responsibility for violations of the SOPs.

Meanwhile, 547 more people tested positive for the Covid-19 while four patients died of the virus during last 24 hours in Punjab.

The total number of positive cases in the province has reached 110,540 with 2,475 deaths.

The situation is getting worst in Lahore, which reported 249 confirmed cases of the virus out of the total positive cases reported in Punjab on Monday.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020