Hyderabad's Covid-19 testing moves to Karachi

As the number of Covid-19 infections in the province begin to rise again, health authorities have transferred the tests of coronavirus samples collected from Hyderabad and some other districts to Karachi's Indus Hospital.

The Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, has been testing samples collected in Hyderabad since March, and is currently receiving and testing samples from 23 districts of Sindh.

The reason behind the move is said to be reducing the burden on LUMHS. However, official sources claim that the alleged surfacing of erroneous results from the laboratory also played a role in the decision.

"It's the government's order that the samples should be sent to Karachi," district health officer (DHO) Dr Lala Jaffar told The Express Tribune. According to him, his office began to send the samples to the Indus Hospital from November 4.

Hyderabad deputy commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro also confirmed this development, while the Sindh health director-general could not be contacted to ascertain the reason behind the decision.

However, pro vice-chancellor Dr Ikram Ujjar, who is in charge of the LUMHS laboratory, denied that any such development had taken place. "I have not been informed about this decision either in writing or verbally," he told The Express Tribune.

According to Dr Ujjar, his laboratory received around 300 samples from Hyderabad on November 4 - the date from which the DHO said they began sending the samples to Karachi.

He added that his laboratory's daily testing capacity stood at around 5,000 samples. "During the peak of coronavirus cases in Sindh, we were conducting tests beyond our capacity."

Dr Ujjar further said the laboratory was currently receiving 4,500 to 5,000 samples daily from 23 districts, with the positivity ratio standing at around six to seven per cent - after dropping close to one per cent in September.

"We have recommended that the authorities increase the capacity of laboratories in Sukkur, Larkana and Gambat, which are currently testing less than 100 samples per day, and also suggested that they shift some districts' testing to Karachi," he went on to say.

Pointing out that samples from Thatta, Sujawal and Badin were initially being tested at the Indus Hospital, he suggested that the three districts be handed over to Karachi once again.

As many as 49 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Hyderabad on Thursday, while the Civil Aviation Authority's training centre in Kohsar, Latifabad, was also closed on Thursday after 27 samples taken from there appeared positive.