Lokesh Motwani of Ulhasnagar rushed his wife, child and younger brother (back recently from Pune) and sister-in-law, all with flu-like symptoms, to Rajawadi Hospital, only to be told that the hospital had no swabs for them.

“The hospital told us to come tomorrow as there are no swabs,” said Motwani. The hospital ran out of stock around 5 pm, three hours before screening closes.

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.

... contd.