Sanjeevani bus adds to testing capacity

Visakhapatnam: A Sanjeevani bus was launched at the Government’s Men’s College (Arts College) in Srikakulam town on Friday. The bus is a mobile Covid-19 testing service and can collect upto 10 samples at a time.
The mobile testing unit was formally launched by district medical and health officer M Chenchaiah and Srikakulam municipal commissioner P Nallanayya.Chenchaiah said the unit can collect close to 150 samples per day. Special arrangements for the eldery and women have been made, he added.
Staff from the primary health centre (PHC) and community health centre (CHC) have been roped in to conduct the tests.
The DMHO asked individuals with Covid-19 symptoms to come forward and get tested immediately. A second VRDL will also be set up in the district headquarters, he added.
Srikakulam revenue divisional officer MV Ramana said the state is among the top in the country in terms of number of people tested, while Srikakulam district is at the forefront in the state.
“If people know in advance that they have tested positive, the treatment will be easy and there will be no life-threatening situation,” Ramana said, adding that patients could stay at home and be treated.
Srikakulam collector J Nivas, on a tour of Meliaputti in the district, said the Sanjeevani bus is part of additional infrastructure to reach the district’s target of conducting 5,000 Covid-19 tests per day from August.
“We also requested the people to get admitted to hospital if their oxygen level is less than 92 on a pulse oximeter. The hospitals will check for Covid-19 status after admission,” Nivas said.