Swine flu tests in city by IPM now

In a significant development that would cut down the delays in swine flu diagnosis, city-based Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) has received recognition to take up swine flu tests independently from National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi. From now on, there is no need to send samples for testing to NICD.

Health authorities on Wednesday also informed that in due course antiviral drug Oseltamivir will be made available in the open market. Guidelines are being chalked-out to implement and regulate its availability in the retail market.

A few medical outlets would be chosen to retail the Oseltamivir drug.

Five corporate hospitals-Apollo, KIMS, Sharvana, Global and Image Hospitals-will coordinate with the government and treat swine flu patients.

Four more laboratories-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostic (CDFD), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Onan Biotech, Kamineni Life Sciences have come forward to take up swine flu testing.

“We expected more private hospitals to join. Yet, we are not disappointed and we hope that in due course more private hospitals will start treating swine flu patients,” Health Secretary L. V. Subramanyam told media persons after attending a meeting with private hospitals on Wednesday. In all, the five new hospitals are providing 26 isolation beds.

Meanwhile, health authorities on Wednesday confirmed two more cases of swine flu, taking the total number to 95 in the State.

Authorities informed that there a possibility of a few more swine flu positive cases already undergoing treatment at one or two private hospitals in city. Authorities will visit private hospitals to identify these patients.

In the meeting with representatives of corporate hospitals, authorities informed that IPM, as of now, will remain the only swine flu testing centre in the State. “Private labs with good infrastructure and willing to take up swine flu testing will coordinate with IPM to obtain NICD recognition. We will request NICD to expedite the process,” Mr. Subramanyam assured. IPM can conduct 40 tests in a day. “IPM can take up 40 tests a day. We are fully prepared and we are open to work with private laboratories if the samples to test are more,” said IPM director P. Sucharitha Murthy.