Swine flu kits now available at KGH

Visakhapatnam: The medical kits which are needed to investigate and confirm swine flu are now available in the KGH after a long time following the clarity given by the higher officials of Medical and Health wing.The entire medical equipment for taking up medical tests to confirm the swine flu, was purchased with government financial help and was put up at the Virology laboratory and medical tests are going on for the past four, five months here. So far, medical tests were done on 150 samples to confirm whether the particular person is suffering from swine flu or not. However, with the lack of availability in the medical kits, the authorities were not able to do any test for a week, last month.

The KGH is getting samples not only from Vizag district but also from other areas like Vijayawada and the authorities initially thought that the government would supply necessary medical kits since the total medical equipment was supplied by the government. Later, stating that Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) will supply the kits, the medical and health officials asked the KGH authorities not to purchase the kits. With the heavy rise in the swine flu cases in the recent past, the KGH authorities brought the issue to the notice of Director of Medical Education and other higher-ups who in turn directed the authorities to purchase necessary medical kits without waiting for others.