Avoid unnecessary testing, follow guidelines, BMC tells private labs

 The Economic Times
11.05.2020


The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in a clarification on Sunday told private labs to follow ICMR and state guidelines for Covid-19 tests to avoid unnecessary testing. It also told hospitals not to deny elective surgery to any patient over want of coronavirus tests. While private labs that ET spoke with sounded confused about the city’s testing strategy that has seen many flipflops as the city struggled to tackle a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases, BMC officials said the latest clarification will clear any misunderstanding. 

“There is no confusion; all we are saying is that labs will have to follow ICMR and our own guideline of April 15,” Daksha Shah, deputy medical officer of BMC, told ET. Last week, Mumbai’s over half a dozen private labs were in a limbo when a BMC communication said labs could no longer do testing on basis of a physician’s note alone. The prescription had to be accompanied with a note from state health ministry or BMC ward officer, it had said. 

BMC has also told hospitals not to insist on coronavirus tests before carrying out elective surgery on non-Covid-19 patients. As per the guidelines, treatment cannot be denied for a want of a Covid-19 test, Shah said. “All we are saying is that test as per ICMR list of testing, there is no mandate that says before surgery you have to test,” she said. Tests should be prioritised for symptomatic patients, and those with a history of contact with positive cases. “Unnecessary tests should not be done, that’s what we are saying,” Shah said.

Mumbai, which has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country, has seen several flipflops in the testing policy. After initially undertaking a large number of tests in city, BMC suddenly tweaked its strategy and said it will test only patients displaying symptoms like fever and cough. Those who have had close contacts with Covid-19 positive patients will be directly sent to quarantine and will be tested after five days of them coming in contact with a patient. 


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