Testing times for lab technicians

Team L&M

For medical laboratory technician Yogita Kalra, the biggest takeaway from the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic is people around her becoming more responsible, more independent and more attentive. “That has been the biggest plus for me,” she says.
Over the last month plus, Kalra says the workload has increased manifold as there are a number of  suspected cases of fever, throat infections and cold-cough. “We have been conducting tests for all of them. Moreover, we have to conduct testing at regular intervals until 14 days. There are more patients admitted in the hospital than those arriving every day in OPD. There is a shortage of staff as those who don’t have their own conveyance are unable to come to the hospital,” says the daughter of retired healthcare officials from Bhiwani, Haryana. She is quick to add that the government and healthcare sectors have been taking correct and necessary decisions at the right time and that’s the reason why the numbers are still contained in India as compared to other countries.

Kalra feels all this would not have been possible but for the cooperation from her family. “They have always been very supportive and positive which gives me all this strength,” she says. Though she is considerably new to her profession (it has just been two years), Kalra never felt she needed to quit and stay home. “This is the time of testing the maximum number of people. In healthcare sector, there are challenges every day and we know how to overcome them,” puts in Kalra who drives down to her workplace for her shift between 9 am and 5.30 pm every day. And when she returns home, she says one needs to be overcautious about taking bath, washing all clothes immediately and sanitising whatever one was carrying outside home.