The Association of Government Medical Laboratory Technologists says although 75,000 PCR tests can be conducted daily in the country at present, not even 15,000 tests are being conducted.
Speaking to media, President of the Association Ravi Kumudesh attributed the low number of tests to the same set of staff being deployed to conduct PCR tests.
Kumudesh said increasing duties for the same group is another effort to disrupt the testing process to reduce tests.
He noted 42 laboratories are conducting PCR tests at present while samples are being collected at hospitals. He added laboratory technologists are prepared to conduct tests if they receive additional samples.
Kumudesh questioned the reason behind not conducting tests, while the group responsible is prepared to evaluate samples.
He claimed the Ministry of Health is attempting to disrupt professionals to reduce the number of tests.
On a separate note Ravi Kumudesh claimed health workers are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the short-sighted policies of the Ministry of Health.
Kumudesh said the guidelines issued by the Director General of Health Services recently stated COVID-19 infected medical staff or health officials can report to work after 10 days without undergoing another test.
He questioned the scientific basis behind the guideline and how the Health Ministry will determine if the relevant individual can infect another person, and called for the official who reached the decision to be revealed.
Kumudesh said if a COVID-19 wave emerges among the health sector or frontline workers, the relevant individual of the Director General of Health Services, who signed off the guidelines, must be held responsible.
