Lab bringing samples to be tested under control

Health authorities have announced tighter measures to speed up and improve the testing processes at the sole public laboratory even as they report a significant breakthrough in a troubling backlog of COVID-19 samples.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Kenneth George disclosed on Tuesday that the Best Dos Santos Lab, which was grappling with a backlog of nearly 1,000 cases during the past week, had now whittled down those samples to just over 100.

“We had a bit of a backlog in the lab. I am pleased to report that while it has not been completely resolved we certainly are now in a much better place,” Dr George told Barbados TODAY.

He also said that the Ministry of Health has put certain systems in place to make sure that the samples taken are processed in a timely manner considering the various procedures which have to be satisfied.

“So there are several steps and we have to put quality control measures on each of those steps; because if in just one step there is an issue, you tend to get trickle-down to the steps. So it is a full operation. You don’t just take a sample and send it to the lab. There are so many steps in between and we are tightening those systems,” said the CMO.

While declining to say when the backlog would be completely cleared, the Government’s chief medical advisor pointed out: “There has been significant improvement. So we went from 900 cases last week to now we are down to just over 100 cases and we intend to wrestle that to the ground.”

However, Dr George said the challenge being experienced by the Ministry of Health is that even though it hired more staff, improved its system and invested in the COVID-19 testing procedures, these are still not enough in the wider scheme of things.

“That is only part of the equation. The Government of Barbados can’t do this on its own. I have been saying this for a long time. The public needs to do better. Everybody blames the Government for everything…the lab goes wrong, they blame the Government; this goes wrong they blame the Government, but we never look at personal responsibility,” the Chief Medical Officer contended.

Having said that, Dr George announced that with the privately-run testing lab at the Crane Resort in St Philip already in operation, the country will soon have another option to have testing done.

“What I will tell you is that Bayview Hospital [lab] should come on stream hopefully next week and that will give persons further options with respect to testing,” Dr George said.

In recent days, Barbados was placed in the spotlight over the delay in the return of tests results.

On Monday, tourism authorities announced their intention to intensify their global marketing efforts to lure more visitors here, while making communication on the island’s COVID-19 testing process a priority.

Some visitors complained that health authorities had promised their results would be ready within 24 to 48 hours which would be in time for their departure. However, the tourists became stranded at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) and missed their flight because the test results were not ready. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)