Thiruvananthapuram: A walk-in sample kiosk (WISK) developed by the Kalamaserry Medical College in Ernakulam to collect throat swabs of coronavirus patients and suspects came into operation on Monday.
With two openings in front along with a hand glove attached to it, the kiosk will not require the staff collecting samples to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
The staff can stand inside the kiosk and collect the throat swabs without exposing themselves to the person under observation. The exposed part of the glove will be sanitised after each use.
Samples are usually collected in designated hospitals under a controlled environment and patients and suspected persons are brought in an ambulance.
With a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, the demand for PPEs that cost about Rs 1,000 each has also gone up and concerns have been raised about its shortage in several places. The new kiosk hopes to take care of this concern.
Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas said, "WISK helps reduce the consumption of PPE as health workers can safely collect the samples from inside this. This will also be helpful for mass screenings."
If a large number of people from a particular area has to be screened, a WISK can be easily set up in that locality and it will ensure faster and simple collection of samples, the DC said.
The health department adopted the model from South Korea where it has been used widely.
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