PG med students yet to get Covid test results, live in fear

PG med students yet to get Covid test results, live in fear

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.05.2020

Postgraduate students of Madras Medical College are gripped by fear as their Covid-19 test results have been delayed. The college, however, said the state’s protocol allowed them to declare results only if the patients’ samples tested positive. If nothing has been announced, it implies that the students have tested negative, it maintained.

The men’s hostel in which the students reside was locked down after a hostel employee tested positive last week. The hostel has around 250 occupants and their throat/ nasal swabs were taken for tests subsequently.

It feels very unsafe to stay in the same building or share washrooms without knowing who is infected and who isn’t, said a student, requesting anonymity. “Some of them have symptoms like cough and cold. Only if results are released on time, we will know if it is Covid-19 or a common illness,” he added.

Students say they will feel relieved and can focus better on their work and academics if the results were out.

In response, MMC Dean R Jayanthi said all 580 doctors, including PG students, and 582 nurses, paramedical staff on the campus have tested negative. If they had tested positive, they would have been isolated immediately and moved to wards for treatment as per state protocol, she added.

“We can’t hold back any test result as it mandatory to enter the details to the government portal as and when they are out. There is no way we can withhold them. Across the state, only positive cases are announced,” she added.

A section of doctors, however, stand with the students’ demand and said they have all rights to know their test results, just like any other patient.

The students also claimed that the college records on Covid tests run on students and other healthcare workers was messed up, and that the institute hasn’t published the results due to confusion while preparing the list. The hospital denied this and claimed that they were taking efforts to introduce bulk messaging system soon, so there will no confusion in the future.