Govt mistakenly declared Block 8 nurse negative

Mpho Mokwape | Friday June 19, 2020 15:54

 

Govt mistakenly declared Block 8 nurse negative

In a response letter following a demand from the nurse, Morobi Dinao about why his results transcript was smudged before a ‘positive’ result was written, why there was no accompanying signature and the delay to see his results, the Senior Consultant Virologist at National Health Laboratory, Madisa Mine said the results were originally registered as SARS COVID-2 Negative as a transcription error.

“The laboratory resulting system at that stage was still manual entry, Dinao Morobi covid 19/2020/1425 was originally resulted as SARS COV-2 Negative, this was a transcription error as results SARS COV-2 Positive. Therefore, the reason for the smudge of the original request form was to rectify the transcription error,” he said.

The government’s explanation is that Dinao’s specimen, which was received in the laboratory on April 5, 2020 was assigned a manual laboratory specimen and was submitted for testing and the number COVID19/2020/1425 was used as a unique specimen identifier throughout the testing, resulting and dispatching process.

However, what appears to be troubling Dinao in his initial letter to the Director of Health Services, Dr Malaki Tshipayagae is why the cancellation of the negative results was not signed and the length his results took after he was tested and admitted to the isolation centre.

In their response, the government failed to clear what could have been the problem as Dr Hwananani Feledi explained in his recollection of the events that transpired.

According to him, multiple times it proved futile as the lab could not provide Dinao’s results or give any explanation to the delay.   

He explained that Dinao was admitted to a private isolation room where he constantly demanded to see his results, which he informed him that they had not yet received his results from the lab.

“The client continued to demand for his results in the days that followed. During this period, multiple attempts were made to obtain the results from the NHL same proving futile as the lab could not provide his results or an explanation to the delay,” he said.

Dr Feledi said the delay and no explanation resulted in his colleague going to the NHL on April 18, 2020 to collect the results, which indicated Dinao had tested positive for COVID 19 and he had informed him.

On Dinao’s contention that he could not be given his physical copy of his results, Dr Feledi said he had told him he could not bring the copy into his room because it would be contaminated and that it was the only copy that they had for his file.

“The following morning I placed the copy of his results in a clear file holder and went to the glass door of his room to show him the results after which I returned the results. I proceeded to explain to him that I couldn’t give him the copy of the results as they have to stay in his file.

He demanded to have a copy and I explained to him he could ask to get a copy when he gets discharged. That was the last interaction I had with him as the April 19, 2020 was my last day on duty at SKMTH,” he said.

In response to Dinao’s demands from the director, Dr Tshipayagae said the allegations made had been addressed.

In regard to the specimen collection form, he said Dinao was the one who filled in the specimen submission form for himself, something that Dr Tshipayagae explained was discouraged as it meant the patient was the one who prescribed, collected and submitted the sample.

“That said, it is unclear why Mr Dinao would not fill in some clinical information, like pre-existing medical conditions, as he alleges and then turn around to ask why such information doesn’t appear on the resulted specimen form,” he said.

Meanwhile Dinao who was said to have tested positive for COVID 19 and was deployed at Parliament on April 7, 2020 during the national lockdown is still demanding that he be given results that are signed by the person who carried out the laboratory tests and the person who approved/confirmed the results and details of the verifications.

He finds it hard to believe the positive results, more so that he says his intimate partner who he was with him for the duration of the lockdown tested negative.