Dengue fever diagnostic counters are being set up under the aegis of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Poojappura, at seven hospitals in the district, including the Government General Hospital and six hospitals under the district panchayat.
These include the Neyyattinkara general hospital, Nedumangad district hospital, Peroorkada district model hospital, and the taluk hospitals at Varkala, Chirayinkeezhu, and Vithura.
The counters will facilitate real-time diagnosis of dengue through blood sample analysis, with experts from RGCB’s Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostic Division leading the testing. The test is estimated to take just around 20 minutes.
The testing service will be provided free of cost for all patients at the hospitals mentioned above, based on doctors’ prescription. The counters will be functional throughout the working hours of the Out Patient (OP) section.
Two issues
Health Minister K.K. Shylaja will inaugurate the counter at General Hospital at 8 a.m. on Monday. The counters are intended to tackle two issues faced by patients, district panchayat president V.K. Madhu said: the typical time delay in diagnosis and the testing charge of around ₹700-800.
The counters will continue operating until the present spiralling trend of dengue cases normalises, Mr. Madhu said.
Apart from the testing fee, other treatment expenses of dengue patients at the hospitals under the ambit of the district panchayat will be free.
All-time fever clinics are also on the anvil at these hospitals. Other clinical diagnostic facilities that utilise the RGCB’s technical expertise is gradually being implemented at the hospitals under the district panchayat, with clinical laboratories and collection centres being set up based on necessity.
Compared to areas under the city Corporation limit, the number of cases reported in the grama panchayats has been relatively low, with a few exceptions such as Pallichal (252 cases), Kalliyoor (122), Karakulam (67), Balaramapuram (66), and Vilavoorkal (63).
The exceptions are mostly panchayats bordering the city limits, Mr. Madhu said. Overall, 1,285 cases out of the 3,314 dengue cases reported so far in the district were reported in grama panchayats.
