Hospitals run out of swabs

Swabs comprise a stick with cotton on top and a culture medium (bottle) where the patient’s swab sample is stored and sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune or Haffkine Institute.

“We are running out of stocks with so many persons coming in. We have asked BMC for additional stock. We have asked many to come early tomorrow,” said a doctor at the hospital.

Of the 250 that queued at the hospital’s old out-patient department for screening,52 had swabs taken. “We are taking swabs of only those who have a travel history abroad or to Pune,and those who doctors think may have contracted virus from a contact,” said a source. According to the new guidelines,every suspected case whose throat swab is taken should be put on Tamiflu.

Siddharth Hospital had 21 swabs left by the end of the day. “We have sent officials to collect more,” said Dr R R Tripathi,medical superintendent.

The BMC denied a shortage. “We had procured 3000 pieces and will supply hospitals tomorrow. There will be no shortage,” said Dr Jairaj Thanekar,executive health officer,BMC.

The BMC plans to start six more screening centres,at R N Cooper Hospital in Andheri,V N Desai in Santacruz,S K Patil Hospital in Malad,Bhabha Hospital in Kurla,Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and Kannamwar Nagar in Vikhroli. At the existing six centres,1,298 persons were screened and 286 swabs taken.

Disease diary
Under watch
Mumbai: 6 new cases,68 quarantined (61 in Kasturba,2 at MT Agarwal,3 at Siddharth,2 at Hiranandani)
Elsewhere in state: 246 cases,72 in hospital
Control rooms
Mantralaya: 22026579
BMC: 23083901
Thane: 25347785