COVID-19: Mobile 'phone booth' sample collection centre introduced in J'khand

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Ranchi, Apr 7 () In a bid to ensure safety ofhealth workers, the West Singhbhum administration in Jharkhandhas introduced an innovative portable unit for collectingsamples from suspected coronavirus-infected persons, anofficial said.

The unit looks like a public telephone booth and willreduce manpower needed for collecting samples for coronavirustests, he said.

The sample collection unit has already been set up atChaibasa Sadar Hospital, he added.

A similar initiative has also been taken in Keralawhere an indigenously built COVID WISK (Walk-in Sample Kiosk)was installed at a government hospital.

"The phone booth COVID-19 sample collection centre isa unique, low-cost and portable unit. It ensures safety ofhealth workers while collecting sample from a suspectedpatient," the official said.

The sample collection kiosk can be mounted on avehicle and transported to any location, he said.

"The Centre has appreciated this innovation and it ishoped that this model will be adopted elsewhere and will go along way to contain the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

This mobile unit will be useful for collecting samplesin COVID-19 hotspots and border checkpoints, the officialsaid, adding that each model costs about Rs 15,000-20,000.

The structure of the centre is "just like a publicphone booth" consisting of a small cubicle along with personalprotective equipment such as gloves for a health worker andkit for collecting samples.

One side of the unit is made of glass with two holeswhere removable and disposable gloves are fitted from outsidewhile other three sides are built with aluminium panel board.

Explaining how the centre will function, the officialsaid a person standing in a queue will be asked to come closeto the kiosk and follow the instruction given through a publicaddress system for collection of his or her swab sample.

A health worker equipped with personal protectivegears stands inside the kisok and collects the sample andthen, follows the sanitisation process before taking nextsample.

"It requires less health staff for sample collectionand strictly follows the principle of social distancing," theofficial said.

Four COVID-19 cases have been reported in Jharkhand sofar, he added. PVRBDC BDC