Governor Kalyan Singh's HINI report: SMS gets clean chit

JAIPUR: A high-level committee constituted on demand of governor Kalyan Singh for investigating into two contradictory swine flu reports issued by two different hospitals, has given clean chit to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College.
Health minister Kalicharan Saraf informed the state assembly about the SMS hospital’s report being found correct, on Friday.

The committee found that the test reports of Singh's swab samples issued by the SMS Hospital is correct and has no flaws. Health minister Saraf said Institute of Virology, Pune ensures quality of swine flu tests done at SMS Hospital laboratory.

Saraf said that four swab samples which tested positive in tests done by SMS Hospital laboratory were sent to a private hospital in the city, which also confirmed that the samples were positive for swine flu. SMS Hospital microbiologist Dr Bharti Malhotra, who was part of the team sent to Delhi's private hospital where Singh was tested negative for swine flu for investigation, said that even though a patient is suffering from swine flu, an ordinary laboratory test result may come negative due to certain reasons. She said that in swine flu test report, it is mentioned that it does not mean that a patient does not have infection, even if he has tested negative. Faulty sample collection, low quantity of virus in the sample are some of the reasons that may influence the result and a patient with infection can be tested negative due to the said reasons.

The committee comprising principal secretary medical education Anand Kumar, SMS Medical College principal Dr US Agarwal and SMS Hospital microbiologist Dr RK Maheshwari investigated the quality of tests done for swine flu. The committee picked up four samples which tested positive for swine flu and sent them to private hospital. Both hospitals brought same results. It was constituted a day after Singh tested positive for swine flu on Sunday and on the same day he rushed to Delhi's private hospital where he was tested negative for the disease. A day after Singh demanded from the government to investigate into the matter.