Delhi: There are long queues outside Delhi hospitals for patients with flu symptoms. Currently, only two hospitals, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital and Safdarjung hospital have facilities to collect the samples. Those who have travelled abroad or came in contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient are being given preference for laboratory tests.
Hundreds of patients with symptoms of cold, cough, fever and shortness of breath are lining up every day at RML to check whether they have coronavirus. But, the hospital is able to check only a few ones.
According to hospital management they are collecting 25-30 samples every day.
For a few minutes of the screening process, the patients have to wait for hours together at the emergency registration counter. They are required to fill in the declaration form and declare if they have any flu symptoms, foreign travel history, and whether they had in contact with any COVID-19 patient.
If the answer is positive to any of the above questions, their sample is being collected and sent to AIIMS in Delhi or NIV in Pune. Patients who have serious symptoms are kept in isolation wards in the hospital and others are advised to home quarantine.
Some patients are complaining of insufficient medical staff. They lamented that they have to wait in the queue for more than three hours.