Now, one more centre in city to test for multi-drug resistant TB

The lab got accreditation two weeks ago, and will help patients get free DOTS plus treatment for MDR-TB.

The Goregaon (west) branch of Super Religare Laboratories (SRL) Limited is the third laboratory after Hinduja Hospital and JJ Hospital in the city to get accreditation to test multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

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The laboratory got the Central TB Division (CTD) accreditation two weeks ago.

Accreditation of the laboratory helps patients detected with TB at the laboratory to avail free Directly Observed Short-Course Treatment (DOTS) plus treatment for MDR-TB under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).

“We want more laboratories to be accredited in the city to test MDR-TB. We had three meetings on February 21, 23, and 24 with the laboratory officials including the chief executive officers (CEO) of the hospitals and laboratories to explain to them the procedure for accreditation and share guidelines of the Central TB Division (CTD),” said Dr Minni Khetarpal, deputy executive health officer and Mumbai TB officer.

“We have been accredited by the CTD for Line Probe Assay (LPA) tests and Drug Sensitivity Tests (DST) in Mumbai,” confirmed Dr Sanjeev Chaudhry, chief executive officer, Supe Religare Laboratories.

While the Line Probe Assay test does a molecular study of the TB bacteria to detect MDR-TB in two days time, the Drug Sensitivity Test involves developing a culture of the TB bacilli with the sputum and tested with TB drugs. DST takes three months to confirm MDR-TB.

“As a gesture of support for the RNTCP programme, SRL agreed to observe the pricing approved by RNTCP despite the fact that its list prices for all generations of TB tests were higher,” said Dr Chaudhry. The price of both tests is Rs 2,000 each.