State to set up common pool of medical lab technologists

Kolkata: In a bid to ensure smooth round-the-clock functioning of COVID-19 testing laboratories in different medical colleges, the state government is setting up a common pool comprising "medical technologists (lab)".

The common pool would be formed with all existing medical technologists (lab) including both the regular and contractual ones. They may be posted at different departments, preclinical, para-clinical and clinical units of each medical college and its attached hospitals and teaching institutes.

At the same time, arrangements have to be made to deploy an adequate number of medical technologists (lab) at the COVID-19 testing laboratory running under the Microbiology department of each institution from the pool. It has been stated that at least 16 medical technologists (lab) have to be deployed in a laboratory.

It has to be done so that the laboratories can run round-the-clock on all seven days in a week in three shifts.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always stressed on the need for more tests to ensure better screening of COVID-19 patients so that necessary and treatment on time can be provided to those required.

The move has to be taken considering that it will help in maintaining 25,000 tests per day, besides further increasing its number.

This comes at the time when the state government has crossed the benchmark of conducting 25,000 swab sample test per day on Thursday and that's too nine days ahead of the set deadline of August 15.

The state government has also set up a Micro-Biology Expert team to keep a tab on quality of testing conducted in different laboratories in the state.

The move of creating a pool of medical technologists (lab) has been taken up after it was reported that the testing laboratories running under Microbiology Department of different medical colleges need adequate number of medical technologists (lab) to run the same smoothly in three shifts, sources said.

The step will help in ensuring both the quality and quantity of swab sample tests that play the most important role in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.