Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 15 (EMN): Amid decline in the number of fresh Covid-19 positive cases in Nagaland in the past few weeks, health official has cited poor response to testing, reluctance in declaring contacts and stigmatisation as reasons for decrease in rate of positivity in the state.
Surprisingly, the state has been witnessing a significant plunge in the number of new Covid cases since a week before Christmas, registering zero case on two occasions -- December 27 and January 2 – even as health experts expressed apprehension of a possible surge during the festive season.
Principal Director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Vizolie Suokhrie, however, said that the department wants to conduct as many tests as possible for the disease but ‘people are not coming for testing voluntarily, except a few’.
Even those with flu-like symptoms do not want to come for testing. This might be because of the stigma attached to it, which needs to be addressed, said the doctor, adding that the department is working towards addressing the issue.
‘The response for testing and contact tracing is another thing. Many people are reluctant to declare their contacts. If we are not able to get their contacts, our sample collection has to go down,’ the official said.
Another reason, he said, could be because of the cost of testing, adding that he had come across some testing being carried out at private hospitals and felt the need to regulate the “test rate” (at private hospitals). ‘If the test rate or cost is high, it becomes incremental to people who wants to come for testing,’ he said.
Suokhrie also emphasised on maintaining Covid-19 appropriate behaviours, saying that it is not known how many more months, if not years, the pandemic will continue. He expressed concern over possible spike in positive cases because of festivities, as has been witnessed this season in other parts of the world.
However, he added that the health department is prepared in terms of medicines, PPE kits, logistics, and testing facilities.