In current situation when thousands of patients are rushing to government hospitals and health centres suspecting dengue, malaria, Telangana Diagnostic Central Hub, Narayanguda, ran out of dengue testing kits.
Sources said that tests for confirming dengue could not be performed as Central Hub ran out of the kits on Tuesday.
Blood and other samples collected at Primary Health Centres (PHC), Basthi Dawakhanas, Community Health Centres (CHC), Area Hospitals, District Hospitals, are sent to the Diagnostic Central Hub for tests.
Though boards, banners are placed at Primary Health Centres, Basthi Dawakhanas, and other health centres from the past few days stating that diagnostic tests for dengue will be performed free of charge, anxious attendants of patients aree forced to go to government tertiary care hospitals as they are told the tests are not performed there.
Case in point, when Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender visited Fever Hospital, Nallakunta, on Tuesday, a family was adamant to take the grievance to him.
Ramakrishna said that his daughter Sahasra (7) suffered from fever and they took her to PHC in Boduppal on Sunday. While a board at the health centre stated free diagnostic tests would be performed, the service was not available. He said the situation was the same at another PHC. The family members had to visit Fever Hospital in Nallakunta to avail the service. They informed the issue to the Health Minister.
Each dengue kit can test 96 samples. Two kits each were provided on two consecutive days last week to the Central Hub. Since samples flow from all health centres, the kits were not enough.
General manager of Telangana Diagnostics, Dr Priscilla Chandran said on Tuesday late evening that the issue did not reach their notice, and that they would resolve it.