'Defective testing kits delaying results': WB Health Dept attacks ICMR on kit quality

West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department has accused ICMR-NICED of providing defective testing kits to state government which has led to a delay in providing results of COVID-19 suspects. In a series of tweets on Sunday, Health Department alleged that testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago has started to show a large number of 'inconclusive results.' department also reasoned that testing kits which were received by National Institue of Virology, Pune did t depict such problem. 

Furrmore, it stated that due to large number of 'inconclusive results' resulting in repeat/confirmatory test run has caused delay in final results.  Bengal administration was earlier accused by several people including Goverr Jagdeep Dhankar for t providing accurate COVID-19 data from state. Health Department has also alleged that a similar problem is being faced by or testing labs across country and urged ICMR to look into matter immediately.

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According to recent bulletin, re are 198 active cases in state while 66 people have recovered from disease. state has witnessed 12 deaths due to Coronavirus. 

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're is a big drop'

Earlier, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), ICMR's dal COVID-19 testing facility in Kolkata, had said state government is t sending eugh samples for tests. "re is a big drop. Last week we didn't even have 20 samples per day. Number of samples being sent is determined by state government, so if y send more samples, we are able to test more. I think sample collection has t been as per recommendation. So number of tests being done in Bengal is also less," its director Dr Shanta Dutta had said recently.`

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Some senior medical practitioners in Kolkata PTI spoke to said "hush-hush" approach is worsening things and hindering aggressive testing to tackle disease effectively. number of tests should be increased immediately in order to estimate spread of contagion. As most patients or suspects are asymptomatic, we need to have more sample testing, a senior physician said. Chief Secretary Sinha said state has its own limitations as it cant start testing in any laboratory because only facilities authorised by ICMR can conduct COVID-19 test.

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WB Health Dept accuses ICMR of defective testing kits, alleges delay in results due to it