Bidhannagar Subdivisional Hospital started Rapid Antigen Test from Wednesday. It has also procured a TruNat machine and a bio-safety cabinet to ramp up Covid-19 tests.

“So long we were collecting samples for RT-PCR tests which were being sent to RG Kar hospital. Now Rapid Antigen Tests have started.

We have also installed a TruNat machine which will be used from Thursday,” said hospital superintendent Partha Pratim Guha.

The hospital has been given a target of 40 tests daily. But since there is no upper limit, on Tuesday 63 RT-PCR tests were done. “Even amid Wednesday’s lockdown, we did 22 RT-PCR and 10 Rapid Antigen tests,” Guha said.

The hospital is referred cases by Dum and North Dum Dum municipalities and NKDA. Those with symptoms can also get themselves checked at the hospital’s outpatient department or fever clinic which can recommend a test.

For a fortnight now, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation is collecting swabs for Covid-19 tests at the Central Park Swimming Pool. “The pool opposite Bikash Bhavan is collecting 40 samples a day. We will also set up a second centre in Rajarhat so people from that side do not have to travel all the way,” said mayor Krishna Chakraborty.

Earlier, the corporation was holding screening camps in different wards. Now that a venue has been fixed, a sanitising tunnel and a swab collection kiosk have been procured which will be used soon, said mayoral council member in charge of sports Debraj Chakraborty. “We chose the swimming pool as it is isolated from residential quarters.”

But people cannot walk in. “We are testing only those in home isolation or quarantined in our safe house whom we are monitoring or who have come in contact with a positive case. Recommendations also come from councillors, the police and Swasthya Bhavan,” said a civic official.