Covid 19 testing now to be done at all polyclinics including the St. Philip Polyclinic at Six Roads (pictured here) and and the Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic in Wildey.
As government moves to open all polyclinics to deal with the massive influx of persons seeking Covid-19 testing, several persons are expressing hope this results in a more efficient process.
Speaking to the Barbados Advocate following her first test, which was administered at the Randall Phillips Polyclinic in Oistins last week, a resident expressed serious concern as to how the process was conducted.
“I arrived and registered before 9 a.m. and the line was already heading around the building, but actual testing did not begin until after 11 a.m. and there were people in the line from as early as 7 a.m! The line was ridiculous by then and just before noon, they closed down registration. When names were being called by the nurses, persons could not hear the nurse through the PPE outfit and then everyone was bunching up to see if they were being called. Everyone mix up – the tourists wearing the arms bands, the workers from businesses where somebody tested positive to everybody else. It was foolishness!” she contended, noting she finally got tested around minutes to two in the afternoon.
Advised to head to the polyclinic due to a patron testing positive, the small business employee who has been worried from the time she received the call, stated that seeing the process at the polyclinic spiked her anxiety even more.
“I just hope that with the changes now, everything runs a lot smoother when I have to go in for my second test, because I am still waiting for the results from the first,” she stated.
Another who headed to the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic in Warrens said while the process was a bit smoother, further thoughts had to be given to those waiting to be tested.
“I was in a long line of persons standing in the hot sun and left scampering when the rain started to fall. Some mothers and fathers with their children, the elderly and those with underlying conditions. To me, the longer you are around others, the greater your exposure is, so it is best if you can go and get through quickly. Bigger tents should be erected, especially when social distancing comes into play. In addition, clearer signs [are needed] because some people at first believed the line was for the polyclinic’s other services,” the private sector worker suggested.
“I am glad government is doing something about it now with more polyclinics to come on stream to do the testing, because what people were going through (last) week was upsetting,” he added.
With far larger numbers of persons heading for tests, and delays in returned results, on Friday Minister of Health Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Bostic announced a new tier system to help address the situation.
Category One will cater to medical officers, primary contacts of positive cases, policemen, inmates of HMP Dodds, soldiers, all medical personnel, border security, immigration officers, customs officers, Barbados Port Inc. officers, patients awaiting tests for medical treatment and patients in elder care facilities. The Best Dos Santos Laboratory and Bradford Taitt Polyclinic will now be in use exclusively for persons in Category One. These persons can expect their results within 24 hours.
Category Two will see inbound and outbound visitors also getting their results within 24 hours. Secondary and tertiary contacts to positive cases were named as Category Three and can expect their results in 36 to 48 hours. Persons who are generally curious about their status can also conduct a test and will receive results in 48 to 72 hours.
Today, the Branford Taitt and Eunice Gibson Polyclinics are open for testing from 8 a.m. until noon.
