The similarity of symptoms between seasonal and swine flu may not leave the government with many options other than testing.
“I want to clear my doubt that I don’t have influenza H1N1. If I test negative, I can always go for a fever or malaria test,” Flavia, standing in the queue outside the screening and collection centre at Kasturba Hospital, said on Sunday.
Several like her, fearing the worst, are demanding that their throat swabs be tested for the dreaded flu. Experts have maintained from the beginning that influenza H1N1 is curable if it is detected and treated early.
But the similarity of symptoms between seasonal and swine flu may not leave the government with many options other than testing. But the feasibility of mass testing is debatable given the massive crunch of technical expertise and the expensive testing (Rs10,000-Rs12,000).
The chief minister on Sunday announced that the testing capacity of National Institute of Virology in Pune would be increased to 400 from the present 300. And the capacity of Haffkine Research Institute in Parel would be increased to 150 from 40.
But the huge burden of samples has started taking a toll on the system. There were complaints from people that they were recalled for another test after their samples got mixed up.
Kasturba Hospital authorities called Manish Raja in Kandivili on Saturday for a retest. But he could make it only on Sunday because of fever. “I thought my reports had come but they told me that I had to give my throat swabs again,” he said. At least 144 samples were collected in the city. On Sunday, of which 45 were sent to Haffkine and the rest to the NIV.
But Haffkine Institute too is reeling under a backlog of samples. Reports are available after 48 hours. But Dr Abhay Chaudhary, the director of Haffkine, said he had to review the backlog before commenting. And it would take at least a week before the institute could test 150 samples. “We have enough technical expertise,” he said.
Even the NIV has announced that it was difficult to provide reports within 24 hours. A state official said the NIV, a national laboratory, was supposed to test samples from across the country. “But as of now it is bombarded by samples from Maharashtra,” he said.
Can’t the state-of-art PCR molecular laboratory inside Kasturba premises be used for scanning? “This is for the central government to decide,” Dr DS Dakhure, the head of state health services, said.
BMC officials said if they were provided with testing kits by the World Health Organisation, they could carry out the tests.
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