So far Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) has done more than 8,000 COVID-19 RT-PCR tests for the health staff, patients and attendants.
Medical Superintendent of JDWNRH, Dr Gosar Pemba, said around 3,500 tests was done in January and 4,340 in February were done. On an average, 18 to 30 tests are conducted every day. Now that the hospital has its own COVID-19 RT-PCR testing lab, which was established in order to address the testing of the patients and attendants in January, it has become convenient and user-friendly for the patients and the attendants.
The hospital is able to provide the test result within 4 hours, otherwise it takes 6 to 12 hours. Dr Gosar said a lot of issues have been reduced by establishing a lab inside the hospital. The samples are no longer sent to the Royal Centre for Disease Control (RCDC).
Till now, the testing was done by RCDC along with the testing from other dzongkhags and mass screening. The delayed test results earlier had caused a delayin the admission and discharge of the patients and attendants. However, priority was given to urgent cases and the patients are treated in the emergency room until their test result arrives.
The lab will not only ease the workload of the RCDC, but would also hasten the testing and result of the healthcare professionals, patients and attendants of the JDWNRH, said Dr Gosar.
Dr Gosar also highlighted on how JDWNRH’s Annual Performance Agreement (APA) 2021-2022 has been hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All the constructions are delayed due to shortage of foreign workers, even to start new health services, there are some problems because the hospital is not able to send health staff for training outside. Buying of medical equipment has been difficult because engineers are required. Such issues in the hospital are hampering the implementing the APA.
Meanwhile, the lone COVID-19 patient in the isolation ward in JDWNRH is discharged and there are no other positive cases coming in the hospital as of 5 March.
The hospital will now sanitize the entire building, clean it and close it until there are other positive COVID-19 cases.
The current isolation ward is an eye hospital and other two wards, the old MCH and Psychiatric ward will not be used until the World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 Pandemic is over.