PUNE Following confusion over testing of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients using the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits for Covid-19 the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will now ask private practitioners to refer such patients to civic swab centres, said officials.
HT had earlier published a news report on January 8 ‘PMC advisory to test ILI, SARI patients creates confusion in medical fraternity’ informing about the unavailability of RAP kits with private practices and lack of clarity about who will provide the kits for testing.
In the wake of increasing COVID-19 in the country, along with a large number of patients in the city being reportedly infected with JN.1 sub-variant of Covid-19 the PMC swung into action.
The health department of PMC on January 1 issued a letter to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) directing them to instruct private practitioners and hospitals in the city to start testing ILI and SARI patients for Covid-19 using the RAT kit.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer of PMC, said, “We had a discussion with some of the private practitioners and it has been decided to ask the private hospitals and clinics to refer the ILI and SARI cases to our swab centres.”
“These patients will be tested for Covid-19 free of cost at our swab centres. Providing Covid-19 testing kits to private doctors is not possible. A fresh order regarding the same will be issued in a couple of days. However, private doctors and hospitals that have the Covid-19 RAT kits can test the suspected cases at their facility,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“These patients will be tested for Covid-19 free of cost at our swab centres. Providing Covid-19 testing kits to private doctors is not possible. A fresh order regarding the same will be issued in a couple of days. However, private doctors and hospitals that have the Covid-19 RAT kits can test the suspected cases at their facility,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Pawar said the reporting system followed earlier since the outbreak of the pandemic should be followed by private practitioners to report Covid-19 cases diagnosed at their facility.
The government swab centres for Covid-19 testing will be at Khedekar Hospital, Bopodi; Naidu Hospital, Sangamwadi; Annasaheb Magar Hospital, Hadapsar; Savitribai Phule Swab Centre, Kondhwa; Sutar Hospital, Kothrud; Dalavi Hospital, Shivajinagar; Late. Aanandibai Narahar Gadgil Health Centre, Dattawadi; Laygude Hospital, Singhgad Road and Kalas Hospital, Kalas.
Dr Sanjay Patil, former vice-president of state IMA and chairman of Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, welcomed the decision taken by PMC.
“We will distribute the details of swap centres amongst our group. This will make it easy for doctors to refer suspected Covid-19 patients for testing. However, patients suffering from flu-like illness are reluctant to get tested for Covid-19.”