Mysore/Mysuru: In an effort to encourage people to voluntarily get tested for COVID-19, the Mysuru District Administration has opened a new swab-collection centre at Town Hall in city which has begun its operation since yesterday. 

The newly opened swab-collection centre is now available to public where anyone with symptoms can just walk in, register their names and give swab samples for testing, all for free of cost. On the first day yesterday, the centre witnessed good response from people and five people have been tested positive on the first day itself at this new testing facility.

Any person with symptoms such as cough, cold and fever can visit the swab-collection centre at Town Hall and get tested for COVID-19. Two help desks have been established comprising two nurses and three other staff members to collect samples for random testing. 

To check whether the person being tested is giving correct contact information, as some people are deceiving officials by giving wrong phone numbers and address to dodge quarantine and isolation rules, swab-collection centre at Town Hall has introduced new set of rules for getting tested.

Foolproof system

As soon as the person with symptoms walks in for testing, staff members at the help desk collect the name, age, address, phone number and other necessary information from patients. During registration process, the person would get an OTP number sent to his phone number, to ensure that the phone number is valid. Other staff members then would collect swab samples from the patient according to protocol, only after confirming OTP number sent to the patient.

Over 100 persons had voluntarily walked in to the New Covid Test Centre at Town Hall on the first day itself. In view of the rise in number of positive cases in the region as well as the rainy season with accompanying high humidity levels causing increase in number of patients with symptoms such as cough, cold and flu, people including pourakarmikas and staff members of Mysuru City Corporation are voluntarily visiting this new centre for testing. 

Unlike private hospitals where cost of testing would be available for Rs. 4,500, the testing done is here is free for public. Compared to the crowded hospitals and testing centres, persons with symptoms need not worry about fear of infection at the Town Hall, which has  enough open space and is located at the centre of the city.

Ex-Corporator M. Shivanna and his wife visited the centre yesterday and voluntarily provided samples for testing. Many local Congress leaders from city were also seen visiting the centre yesterday. 

A nurse working in Saraswathipuram Primary Health Centre (PHC) who had come for testing said, “I have recently completed my quarantine period. As I have a 2-year-old son at home, to ensure myself that I do not have infection, I have come here voluntarily to get tested.”

Other than Town Hall Covid Test Centre, people can also visit KR Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital, Bodyguard Lane PHC at Jockey Quarters, J.P. Nagar PHC, Krishnamurthypuram PHC and designated COVID Hospitals for free of cost and also visit designated private hospitals.