Turkey managed to increase the number of daily tests for the coronavirus above 200,000 earlier this week, and the health care workers working in diagnostic laboratories across the country are the main contributors to this rise.
These unsung heroes, from doctors, nurses and paramedics to contact tracing crews tracking down potential patients, work tirelessly around the clock, supporting the fight against the coronavirus.
In the capital Ankara’s Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, the COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory processes 4,000 samples daily and about 120,000 monthly, checking positive and negative tests. Their work has ultimately helped the country bring the number of daily tests to 206,202 as of Thursday.
The laboratory in the capital is among 398 across Turkey and was established on Mar. 31, at the end of the month the pandemic made its foray into the country. The laboratory runs tests 24/7 in three shifts. It is staffed with 72 people, from biologists to laboratory workers and IT personnel. They rarely take leaves.
Special couriers tasked solely with transporting patient samples deliver them from hospitals in Ankara. After registration, the samples are subject to an “extraction” process to detect virus particles. Finally, they are placed in special devices where they are determined to be positive or negative for the coronavirus.
