Pune: Private lab banned from collecting swabs for COVID testing after false results
Mehab Qureshi
Pune, July 9, 2020: The functioning of the Thyrocare laboratory in Haveli taluka of Pune district has been stopped due to the wrong result provided by the laboratory, informed District Collector Naval Kishore Ram.
The Thyrocare Laboratory is on the list of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) accredited laboratories examining suspected patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). On suspicion of Coronavirus, the Dhumal family from Mauje Khanapur, Haveli taluka, went to test for Covid-19 at Thyrocare lab, and the results were surprising. Two family members were tested negative, and one child was positive.
When the family expressed doubts about the reports’ findings, their report was sent back to the laboratory at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing. Dhumal family’s report came back negative after re-examination.
“Villagers and patients expressed doubts about the working of the laboratory. Considering this situation, we have stopped the lab from collecting any swabs until further notice”, Ram said.
