Mardan hospital starts quantitative test for Covid-19 antibody

PESHAWAR: The Mardan Medical Complex on Friday started quantitative test for the Covid-19 antibody on its premises.

It has probably become the second tertiary care hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that started antibody test for the Covid-19 patients. There were reports that the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) was planning to initiate the antibody test but it was not clear if they had started it by now. The LRH being Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s largest and oldest public sector hospital was also planning to install PCR machine and initiate corona investigations on its premises, but it could not do so. After the Khyber Medical University (KMU) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar, the Mardan Medical Complex was the second Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that had initiated corona testing within their premises when the disease was declared as pandemic in the country.

The KP government claimed that it was spending billions of rupees on Covid-19 patients. The Mardan Medical Complex didn’t get any fund from the government in the installation of PCR machine. The hospital administration was forced to start corona investigations but funds were not provided for this purpose. The hospital and the pathology department had to arrange funds from other places in the institution to start the investigations. It helped coronavirus patients from Mardan and the ones referred from Nowshera, Charsadda, Buner and the Malakand district. Most of the Mardan Medical Complex faculty members including Medical Director Prof Dr Mukhtar Ali, Dean Bacha Khan Medical College Prof Dr Mohammad Fazil Khan, head of pathology department Dr Motasaim Billah, and around 98 others had contracted the viral infection during duty in the hospital. All of them gradually recovered and joined their respective departments.

“By the grace of Almighty Allah and efforts of Board of Governors, the management and pathology staff started the quantitative test for Covid-19 antibody. This will enable the people to find out their antibody against the Covid-19 and help in the treatment of Plasma Therapy of Covid-19 patients,” the Mardan Medical Complex administration said in a statement. Dean Bacha Khan Medical College Prof Mohammad Fazil formally inaugurated the new facility and appreciated support of the BoG members in enhancing services of the institution.

He also praised the faculty members, support staff and the staff of the pathology department for their commitment and services of patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.