Nagpur: No shortage of RT-PCR kits in public labs say Officials

NAGPUR: Even as the district’s RT-PCR testing capacity has touched 5,000 per day, officials said there may not be a shortage as public labs have a buffer stock and local procurement option to is open.
Fears of a shortage were expressed after the order to stop use of faulty RT-PCR kits. ICMR’s Bhopal depot’s too had refused to continue supply of kits.
A top health official from divisional commissioner’s office said as the district’s capacity went up, kits are now being locally procured by the civil surgeon by floating tenders. “These belong to a different company, and not the Kolkata based company which is in the news for faulty kits,” he said.
Asked about the stoppage of supply from Bhopal, the official said since low cost kits are available everywhere now, ICMR is allowing industry to supply kits. “The decentralization will create a level playing field and make the essential gear available everywhere,” the official said.
Yet, IGGMCH officials said they had requested ICMR through Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) director to let the Bhopal depot continue its supply. “We are left with 5,000 RT-PCR kits, which may last a week. Suddenly 10,000 kits to be supplied by DMER have been taken away from our system. The civil surgeon kits too are good, and we may use them if needed. The expiry period is one year if maintained at minus 20 degree Celsius,” lab officials said.
The IGGMCH has not written or made a formal request, the officials said. “We made the request during our video conference with NIV director,” they said.
IGGMCH is testing the highest number of samples among the five public labs in the city. GMCH, AIIMS Nagpur, and MAFSU labs didn’t respond to TOI’s queries regarding their stock.
Neeri officials said they need only detection kits and 1,377 were in stock. “We get stock once a week from Bhopal depot. Our method is of dry swab. The DMER too has given a second option but those kits may not be used now,” they said.