Covid-19: 12.5 lakh faulty RT-PCR test kits in Maharashtra, to be replaced, says Health minister Rajesh Tope

Maharashtra has 12.5 lakh faulty RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) faulty test kits in circulation, said state health minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday.

Maharashtra has 12.5 lakh faulty RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) faulty test kits in circulation, said state health minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday. Confirming that these kits were purchased by the government from a private company, Tope said tests done using these kits have revealed a lower positivity rate, and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has pointed out that these kits were faulty.

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Tope said the government has stopped the supply of these kits with immediate effect and action will be taken against the company. “The only option that remains now is that companies supplying such kits should be blacklisted,” he said, adding that the faulty kits will be replaced by ones supplied by NIV so that testing in the regions where these kits were distributed does not stop.

The minister said a team of experts from NIV will also be appointed to verify procurement of kits, to ensure such an incident does not recur. Citing that testing is a crucial aspect in the battle against Covid-19, Tope said any sensitivity of such kits below the positivity rate of 27% will lead to erroneous results. “The state government will exercise full vigilance in this regard,” he said.