COVID-19 test results without sampling, investigation to be executed on health department

Ballia: A probe has been ordered into the allegations that health officials here had issued COVID-19 test reports without taking samples. In a complaint to the District Magistrate and Chief Medical Officer, Raghvendra Kumar Mishra, a resident of Harpur locality, claimed that his brother Brijendra Mishra, had tested positive for coronavirus on April 20.

Raghvendra said a team of the health department visited his residence and took samples of other family members on the same day. He said that his father and mother had also tested positive for the virus.

He alleged that when the team reached his place, his paternal uncle, Rishikant, and maternal uncle, Brajnandan, were not there, but the officials submitted their test reports stating that they had tested negative for COVID-19.

He said that the health department informed him over the phone that his family members were tested for the infection on April 23, and that Rajendra Mishra (another brother) had also tested positive.

"But the fact is none of my family members were tested on April 23. They were in fact tested on April 20. Also, my brother (Rajendra) had tested negative for COVID-19," the complainant said in the letter.

When the goof-up was pointed out to the department by Raghavendra, the official said, "Okay, so we are making the COVID-19 report of Rajendra as negative."

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer of Ballia, Rajendra Prasad, on Wednesday (April 28) said the district surveillance officer will probe the charges, and action will be taken against the guilty.

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