The Government Medical Laboratory Professionals Association says a stringent mechanism has not been provided to the public to undergo coronavirus testing, even though a maximum price cap has been introduced for PCR and Rapid Antigen tests conducted privately.
President of the Association Ravi Kumudesh speaking to media yesterday said, concerns have arisen over PCR testing of close contacts of COVID-positive patients.
He commended the decision by the Ministry of Health to impose a maximum price, even though the decision was reached late.
However, Kumudesh urged the Health Minister to look into issues faced by the public, especially pertaining to getting tested.
He said the public is contacting them out of helplessness, adding that Public Health Inspectors put up quarantine signs at homes when a COVID-positive patient is identified and informs inmates that it will not be taken down until the entire household undergoes testing.
Kumudesh stated such households are not informed as to how the family can get tested. Ravi Kumudesh also stated that laboratories do not lack capacities for testing.
He said Sri Lanka has 40 large scale labs that can conduct at least 75,000 tests daily, adding that only 100-200 tests are carried out daily at 30 to 40 labs.
Kumudesh claimed there is a flaw in the system.
