South Delhi’s very 1st drive-through testing facility for COVID-19

Select CITYWALK, Delhi’s most admired shopping center, and Dr. Dangs Lab, a premium chain of quality diagnostics in Delhi NCR have collaborated for the initiative of providing drive-through testing facilities at Select CITYWALK. This testing will be conducted across testing booths, at the rear side of the center. The initiative is done, to ensure maximum safety and minimum exposure to both the patient and the medical staff collecting the samples. Only one car can pass through the stretch at a time.

All bookings can be made by prior appointment on www.drdangslab.com. To get this done, the patient has to follow similar guidelines as with any other testing facility. The documents required will be a doctor’s prescription recommending the test, government-approved identification, and a TRF / Performa request form available online on the website. The person will also have to provide details of the car and registration number to ensure smooth facilitation.

Each station will have a dedicated sample collection officer for the procedure. The samples will be collected from inside the car, through the window of the station by the designated medical officer, post completion of the registration process online. A series of signages are provided to guide the patients through the stations to make this process as smooth as possible. The entire process from start to finish, post online registration is completed within 10-12 minutes. The reports will be emailed and available over Dr. Dang’s website within 24-36 hours. Dr. Dang’s testing facilities for COVID-19, are government-approved and are at the government-mandated price. The entire exercise is a non-profit activity to serve the community and help people access to quick and convenient testing facilities.

In the words of Arjun Sharma, Director, Select CITYWALK, “We are located in the heart of South Delhi, and accessible across a large catchment area. Our aim currently is to be of service to the community in the fight against COVID-19, and access to adequate testing is a must for so many people. The initiative by Dr. Dangs Lab is a simple, easy, and convenient way for people to come for testing and minimizes contact in the best way possible. We do hope this drive through the testing facility will be a help to many who need it urgently.”

Also commenting on this initiative, Dr. Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr. Dang’s Lab, said, “Dr. Dang has been the first testing lab in the country, approved by ICMR to set up a drive-through testing facility for people. This initiative is done keeping in mind Dr. Dangs Lab ethos, Creating Value Over Volumes. The drive-through facilities will aid a lot of people who may not be able to get tests done in their homes and have concerns about exposure to the virus. A big thanks to Select CITYWALKS’S management and staff for their unconditional support for this.”

Testing in homes and hospitals or labs in a pandemic can also add to exposure for patients and medical personnel, which will significantly be reduced with an initiative like a drive through testing.

Four steps of COVID-19 testing at the drive-through testing facility:

• Firstly, the car will pass by the first station where there are only signages and the name of the testing lab. The patient is expected to keep the window rolled-up until asked.
•  At second set-up, trained personnel will be checking the registration number, make and color of the car along with the personal identification.
• Third station will be conducting the test. Personnel with PPE will hold the signage of “roll-down windows.” After this, two swabs will be collected from the patient, from the nose & throat.
• The patient is expected to roll up the windows and drive away from the fourth station.