Family members of those who were tested for the coronavirus at the Afghan-Japan hospital in Kabul say they have still not received results after ten to twelve days.
They say the equipment at the hospital is very limited, which is the cause for delays in the results of the COVID-19 tests.
But the facilities are reportedly also lacking in other services for patients.
Haji Sharif, whose brother was infected with COVID-19 disease and is now hospitalized, says he and his family are taking food and drink into the hospital.
“On the thirteenth day, we paid for the patient examinations and we bring the medicine from outside the hospital. There is no cure here [in the hospital] …. There is a lot of negligence. When patients come in here the doctors just ignore them and tell them (patients) that ‘your results are negative’ but the patients after eight days fall into a coma, and then they are again moved to the hospital. On a daily basis, up to six people die in this hospital,” added Sharif.
Kashmir, another man, says his brother tested for coronavirus fourteen days ago, but the results were announced today.
“My brother’s condition was very bad. I talked to the doctors a lot until they agreed, and now, after fourteen days, the result is negative,” added Kashmir.
However, the Ministry of Public Health says the samples taken from a number of suspects in the laboratories have not been completed due to a lack of testing material.
Also, the intake of samples of people suspected of having the coronavirus at the Afghan-Japan hospital has been suspended for several days because the hospital lacks sufficient equipment and diagnostic kits, say hospital officials.
The shortage of diagnostic kits, especially RNA extraction kits, is a major problem for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in Afghanistan. Due to the lack of these supplies, on Saturday testing was stopped in the laboratory of Balkh province, and today it was stopped in Herat’s provincial hospital.
However, Rahmatullah Waziri, head of the Afghan-Japan Hospital, says that for the past three days sampling and tests for the coronavirus have been resumed at the hospital.
Waziri said that the Ministry of Health has provided 16 RNA extraction kits to the Afghan-Japan hospital and so far 11 of the kits have been used.
“The supplies sent to the hospital in the last few days have been used to test people. Doctors are testing people who have coronavirus symptoms,” added Waziri.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health says that 5,000 new coronavirus testing kits will be provided to the ministry by tomorrow.
According to Afghan-Japan hospital officials, 16 people, including two women with COVID-19 disease, are currently hospitalized and six are suspected.
The Ministry of Health said that so far 6,422 people have been given coronavirus tests across the country, and 966 have tested positive.
