Hospital refuses to do mandatory test for asymptomatic woman with travel history

Maheswari* (23) had travelled from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu by a private bus on May 18. Two days later, she went to a nearby government hospital to take COVID-19 test.

But, although she has a travel history, the hospital denied taking samples as she was asymptomatic.

“I came from Pune to Hosur by a private bus as our pass was allowed until there. From there, I came by car with my father to Chennai on May 18. Later, I went to take the test at Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet. But, as I do not have any symptoms of COVID-19, they denied to test me and asked me to get a letter from the zonal Corporation official,” said Maheswari, a resident of Tondiarpet.

“But when I said I had been suffering from throat pain for the past few days, the took a swab and said that they will call if the result comes positive," she added.

As her family members were anxious about the result and did not receive any calls from the hospital, they contacted acquaintances in the hospital, who confirmed that she tested negative. “If a person with travel history is asymptomatic, they should get a letter from Sanitary Inspector of the respective Corporation Zone to be tested for coronavirus,” said Dr Lakshmi Devi, Director of Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet.

However, the most recent guidelines released as part of Government Order 219 dated May 18 by the State government clearly states that all interstate and international passengers entering TN should be tested under the Comprehensive COVID-19 Guidelines.

*Name changed