Karnataka Chief MInister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday inaugurated a mobile COVID-19 testing kiosk which can be used for fast collection of swabs in identified clusters or hotspots in Bengaluru.
The kiosks, introduced as part of an initiative by Bengaluru South Member of Parliament from BJP, Tejasvi Surya, are aimed at reducing transmission as they do not require at-risk persons to visit the nearest hospital or clinics.
“Any person, who suspects that he or she has the COVID-19 infection, may report to the mobile kiosk instead of going to hospital or the fever clinics, thereby increasing the risk of spreading the infections to others. Such a mobile kiosk can be placed in a large area in a hotspot locality and through this utility, we can also ensure that social distancing norms are followed. I thank the Chief Minister for launching the first kiosk today, which will be stationed at his office,” Tejaswi Surya said.
As of Thursday, two such kiosks are functional in Bengaluru. And soon, they will be introduced in other parts of the city.
One kiosk will be in front of the CM’s home office, and the other will be driven on an open-backed vehicle between Sudhama Nagar, Karisandra, JP Nagar, Singasandra Bapuji Nagar and Madiwala wards.
The booths are similar to telephone booths - 6.5 feet in height and 3 feet in width - and are made up of aluminum and acrylic glass, surfaces known to be resistant against the coronavirus. The booths will be manned by healthcare professionals.
These testing booths have been developed by Manoj P Kudtharkar of Mantra e-ventures, a startup based in Bengaluru. Dr Vishal Rao, member of the COVID-19 Consultative Group, an advisory body to Government of Karnataka, has mentored the project. These kiosks have been set up with the help of doctors of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and HealthCare Global, with technical advice from young doctors from Karnataka Lingayat Education Institute.
These two kits have been developed with funds provided by private donors, said a staff of the Tejaswi Surya.
How the testing kiosk will be used
An individual can walk up to the mobile booth and stand in front of the glass exterior. The healthcare worker, stationed inside the booth, will collect swab samples from the individual.
The booth worker will follow the necessary sanitisation process before proceeding to take subsequent samples. A public address system will provide simple instructions for the individual for his/her entry and exit.
The collection process, fully contactless, gets over in five minutes. The samples are then taken to the nearest COVID-19 lab for testing, which will be carried out as directed by BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Health Department officials.
The system will help adhere to the government’s social distancing norms for individuals queuing up before the kiosk, and also the healthcare workers.
With just two persons involved in the entire collection procedure, the booth requires fewer personnel to collect, operate and transport the samples. It also makes the collection procedure simple, straightforward, swift and seamless.