Herat: Covid-19 tests remain suspended since 5 days

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Covid-19 testing labs in western Herat province have run out of necessary items since last five days, with 600 suspected patients awaiting their results.

Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman of Herat public health department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they had run out of special PCR tubes since last five days.

He said the items were also not available in Kabul, but the Ministry of Public Health was expected to purchase them from abroad.

“More than 600 suspected patients from Herat, Farah, Ghor and Badghis provinces are await their test results due to lack of necessary items,” he said.

He added that 500 to 600 suspected patients underwent Covid19 tests on a daily basis in government and private hospitals and clinics in the province.

A number of patients visiting the Covid-19 Hospital in Herat also expressed their concern over shortage of testing facilities.

Wahid Ahmad, one of patients with suspected coronavirus said, “I was referred to the hospital which performs (covid19) tests on a daily basis in Herat city, but doctors there told me that they had no necessary items and they left me without taking a test.”

According to public health officials, the number of people infected with the virus since its outbreak reached 7,174 and 256 of them lost lives and 6,028 others had recovered.

Figures show 80 people suspected of contracting the virus also died in the province.

mds/ma