COVID-19 test of US-based Odia youth leaves him bewildered. Here’s why

Bhubaneswar: Amidst authorities’ claim of increasing the testing to detect COVID-19 in Odisha, a fake swab collection from an Odia youth, who is  living overseas, raised a big question on the State machinery as well as its efforts to tackle the pandemic crisis.

The matter came to fore on social media on Saturday after the US-based youth expressed his riddle over a COVID test conducted on him in Odisha during the period he was away from the State and the country.

Antigen Sample collected for me today by Govt of Odisha , even if I am in USA .. anything need to be corrected CM sir @Naveen_Odisha @DMBargarh pic.twitter.com/BamWwuhxLu

— Pankaj Panda (@PankajPandaGada) May 29, 2021

With a great surprise, Pankaj Panda, who is currently in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA, wrote that his swab sample for rapid antigen test was collected at 8.28 PM on May 28 when he was not present in Odisha.

Expressing his disappointment over the incident, he appealed to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bargarh Collector to make necessary rectification of error.

The COVID-19 swab testing fraud is not new in the State. Earlier, a person working with a clinic in Bhubaneswar had received multiple messages and phone calls from the BMC regarding his swab sample collection and report detecting him positive.

Such serious blunder by the health department has put entire system for COVID management in dock.