Dr Arjun Dang, the CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, one of the largest private lab chains in the country, said the whole process should not take more than a few days. (Representational photo)
PRIVATE labs have reached out to the government saying they are ready to carry out tests for coronavirus, should it approve the same and decide the pricing and protocols. The government currently has 52 labs exclusively designated to test patients for Covid-19.
Dr Arjun Dang, the CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, one of the largest private lab chains in the country, said the whole process should not take more than a few days. “We have reached out to the ministry and government through various platforms such as NATHEALTH Diagnostics Forum and Voice of Healthcare and communicated that as and when the government feels appropriate, the private laboratories are ready. Since it is primarily an RT PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) test, which is done in swine flu, we already have the trained manpower and required infrastructure. The testing kits for corona are being provided by multiple vendors, which are yet to receive regulatory approvals from the government,” Dr Dang said.
Advising a set protocol, he said this would guard against “panic because of injudicious testing” which, he believes, might be the government’s concern too. “The corona pandemic is an evolving disease. It has four stages: the first stage is import of the virus from individual cases; the second stage is localised infection or clustered infection; stage three is the community stage; and fourth is a full-blown epidemic. India is currently at the second stage. For stage 2, the protocol is that only people who have the primary symptoms, along with travel history or contact history, are sent for testing. Following this protocol, in my view, the government believes it is well-equipped with the existing labs to tackle the patient load.”
However, Dr Dang added, presuming that the country enters the community outbreak stage — when there will be patients without any travel history or contact history — all with primary symptoms would have to be tested. “At this stage, the government would have to multiply testing facilities and rope in private laboratories.”
Supporting the government for the caution it is exercising, Dr Dang said, “First, it is important to understand that you need proper protocol to mandate any testing in private laboratories. It has be done based on credentials and existing infrastructure and manpower in terms of credibility and ability to conduct the tests. The most important is to avoid any compromise on the quality of the reports, which will ensure that there is no panic among the public. For instance, even in the case of H1N1, only a handful of labs were given the licence.”
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He also raised the issue of safety of health workers, and proper disposal of biomedical waste. “When you collect the sample, conduct the testing, and discard the samples, all three stages require stringent infection control. You need protective gear like masks and gowns… Therefore, there has to be very restricted and controlled testing.”
The specialist also red-flagged limitations regarding the incubation period of the virus vis-a-vis testing at the labs. “For coronavirus, it ranges from two days to two weeks. If patients come for a test during the incubation period, the test is likely to come negative because the load of the virus is not enough to give a positive result. The report will give the patient a false sense of security. To prevent this, the government has to come out with the protocol on incubation period etc.”
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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Dr Arjun Dang, the CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, one of the largest private lab chains in the country, said the whole process should not take more than a few days. (Representational photo)
