Over 3,000 Swab Samples Pending for Over a Month for Covid-19 Tests in Delhi Due to Shortage of Kits

Though India is doing everything possible to fight novel coronavirus but its efforts are being hampered due to shortage of Covid-19 testing kits. In Delhi, the number of swab samples pending for tests has jumped seven times in a month, i.e. 470 on April 1 to 3,295 as on April 29.

This shortage of testing kits in such a crucial time has raised concerns of officials as it is causing a serious delay in identifying positive cases, tracing their contacts and even in deciding whether a patient who was under treatment has fully recovered or not.

There are 20 labs - eight run by government and 12 by private - in the national capital, which have been allowed to conduct Covid-19 testing. Some of the swab samples were also sent to National Institute of Biologicals in Noida. NIB is an institute which has an automated machine that undertakes 1,000 tests a day and has a faster turnaround time.

However, according to an order issued by Delhi government yesterday, this Noida-based institute lacked in releasing reports expeditiously of samples sent to it of last 15 days.

Taking a congnisance into the matter, Delhi Health Secretary issued an order to all deputy commissions to ensure no sample is sent to NIB till May 3. "The samples shall be distributed among the other government and private labs, to ensure that results are received within a day of submission of sample to the respective lab," the order reads.

However, this may not solve the problem of pendency of test results completely. Times of India reported that out of government labs testing for Covid-19 in Delhi, five are being run by Centre, while one of them is being operated by the Army Research and Referral hospital. Moreover, the labs run by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and AIIMS, also receive swab samples for testing from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

"The Centre has directed us to expedite testing for Delhi and we are taking measure to ensure the same," Time of India reported quoting an NCDC official. Only two labs run by Delhi government - Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and Maulana Azad Medical College, are approved for virus testing.

Shedding more light on the same, an official said, "RT-PCR test, which is recommended for Covid-19 takes nearly six hours. Specialised manpower is required to perform the task. We cannot expand the testing limits beyond a point."

Dr JC Passey, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital shared that their lab is working all day and night and nearly 80 tests are being done every day. "We are in process of procuring automated extraction system machine which will help us scale up the testing to over 400 samples daily. We are charging Rs 3, 500 if the samples are sent to us. If we have to go and collect it, then reimbursement amount comes to Rs 4, 500 per person," Times of India quoted Passey as saying.