Testing times

Poona’s Jehangir Hospital where the swine flu (H1N1) epidemic claimed its first victim in India, 14-year-old schoolgirl Rida Shaikh, and Ruby Hall Clinic where her sample was sent for testing have strongly refuted allegations of medical negligence. On August 5, 2009 The Times of India (TOI) reported that the state health department had dashed off a letter to Poona’s police commissioner Satyapal Singh asking him to register a complaint against the Jehangir Hospital authorities under the Epidemic Control Act 1897 on charges of negligence. Ruby Hall Clinic was served a show-cause notice by the government, on the same charge, reported The Economic Times (ET), also on August 5.

Shaikh, who was admitted to Jehangir Hospital on July 26, remained there until her death on August 3. On July 29 doctors decided to send her sample to Ruby Hall Clinic for testing. Despite receiving the report saying the result was negative, the doctors immediately sent throat and nasal swabs to the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The patient tested positive for H1N1 on July 31, reported TOI. The very next day, after NIV had confirmed the result, the Jehangir Hospital authorities informed the Poona Municipal Corporation about the case.

Ruby Hall Clinic told ET that it was not guilty of any medical negligence. Dr Pervez Grant, medical director said: "The particular sample that was sent to Ruby (Hall) had tested negative in the rapid test that can be conducted in an hour… There was no evidence of positivity in that particular sample at that point of time. In the early phase of the disease the result can come negative.” He added that along with the test result Ruby Hall Clinic had appended a note recommending further confirmatory tests at NIV, reported ET.