Shocking! Covid testing bus next to garbage site

Hyderabad: Lack of hygiene continues to rile people visiting Covid-19 mobile testing iMASQ (Intelligent Monitoring Analysis Services Quarantine) bus at MANUU Road. They are discouraged by the presence of huge garbage dump just beside the bus, as they are deterred from the unhygienic situation in this Gachibowli facility.

According to eyewitnesses, half of the garbage generated from around the area is dumped on the road. This Hans India reporter noticed garbage dumped at the site and just beside the bus launched by the Health department for people to avail themselves of the testing services.

That the department chose such a spot for installing mobile testing vehicle near a garbage dumping site shows its indifference to dealing with the virus. The locals visiting the facility are sure to add to their health issues. Satyanarayna Reddy, a resident, who visited the facility in the morning, was shocked. "In this Covid times how can Health department think of parking the bus near a garbage dumped site," he asked.

Another resident, Niharika Devi, was more vocal. "People who are having symptoms or facing any health issue visit the Covid mobile testing centre. It seems whoever doesn't have infection they will surely get it if they come for the test here, she remarked.

A civic official admitted that there were sanitation issues in the area due to some locals dumping waste on the road. "We are trying our best to address sanitation issues. We have taken measures to remove littering," said an official of the GHMC sanitation wing. "The decision to install Covid-19 testing bus near a garbage site itself is surprising," said the senior GHMC official who did not wish to be named.

Equipped with advanced technology, each bus has 10 sample collection counters. The antigen test results are notified to people within a few minutes. The buses are built by Hyderabad-based Vera Smart Healthcare. They are meant to visit the pre-designated containment areas from 8 am to 5 pm so that local people can avail themselves of testing. Each bus is equipped with a ventilator, four ICU beds with oxygen, essential medicines and an isolation cubicle. "Every hour 500 samples can be collected at each of these mobile facilities," according to Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Director, Public Health. At this pace, 60,000 tests can be conducted in a day. There are 20 buses operating in GHMC limits, he said.