More tests are the main weapon to contain the spreading of coronavirus says, the World Health Organisation (WHO), but the number of samples testing is decreasing sharply in Bangladesh.

Number of samples testing is decreasing day by day in the country which made the public health experts seriously worried.

Experts said imposing of test fees has made the people reluctant to go for sample tests.

A notice from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry on June 29 said, the government has fixed Tk 200 as fee for RT-PCR test of Covid-19 infection.

The fee is Tk 500 in case of collecting samples from patients' homes.  The decision is not favourable for the poor.
On June 25, a total of 17,999 samples were tested in 66 laboratories across the country while the infection rate was 21.92 percent.

On June 27, about 15,157 samples were tested while infection rate was 23.12 percent.

On June 30, about 17,875 samples were tested and infection rate was 21.12 percent.

On July 21, a total of 12,898 samples were tested while infection rate was 23.7 percent.

On July 23, a total of 12,398 samples were tested and infection rate was then 23.04 percent registered.

Experts said that number of people staying away from the sample tests, may carry the virus in their bodies as there are no symptoms in many patients.

They said such asymptomatic patients and some careless patients are creating hazardous risks of spreading the disease among their surroundings.

Such cases are pushing the whole country into a vulnerable situation. They warned if the government does not bring those patients under test to detect and send to isolations, it might push the nation into dire consequences.

Experts said the undetected patients must get contracts with other people in the society and spread the fatal virus indiscriminately.  

To avoid dire situation, the experts urged the government to bring more and more people to testing centers to detect the patients and send them to isolations.

They also asked the government to cancel charging testing fees to draw more people into testing facilities.

On the other hand, Health Ministry said that they decided to collect fees considering public interests.

"People rushed to test samples without any valid reason as it was free. Now, no one come without symptoms," Abdul Mannan, Secretary of Health Ministry said.

But, experts said, testing was not fruitless. Because, many infected persons have no symptoms detected so far. But after charging fees those people may not come to test, which may help spreading the virus seriously, they said.   

When contacted, Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancelor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said, the real scenario of coronavirus transmission might not be detected if the people are avoiding to test their samples.

Professor Nazrul Islam, a virologist also Member of National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 said, who so suffers from scarcity of food how can he or she cost Tk 200 for test?

Professor Dr M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of WHO, said, "The tests should be increased both in number and expanding it to all districts. It should be made free to encourage people to volunteer for the tests."

He said, the rapid antigen/ antibody test be introduced and started up to upazilla level to cover more people.
Bangladesh is now having the highest contamination rate among South Asian countries more than even India and Pakistan per lac population, the professor added.