Metropolis Labs barred from tests
As the largest lab chain in Maharashtra with the highest capacity for Covid-19 tests, our only aim is to serve the testing needs of the city and the state.
For the second time in less than two months, Metropolis Labs has been barred from carrying out tests for Covid-19 after complaints that it took longer than 24 hours to submit test results. It had previously been sent a show cause notice for the same reason in the third week of April.
On June 9, Metropolis Labs was barred from conducting Covid-19 tests for a month. Additional civic commissioner Suresh Kakani said, “On Tuesday, we sent a notice to the lab prohibiting them from collection and testing samples for four weeks. We have found out that the lab on several occasions has delayed in providing the reports.” In April, Metropolis’s permit to test for Covid-19 had been suspended for a week. “Since they repeated the same mistake, we were forced to suspend them for a month,” said Kakani.
Civic officials said delay in submitting reports leads to sudden spikes in the number of cases and deaths on certain days. Delays not only result in Covid-positive patients becoming eligible for treatment later, but also increase the chance of others being exposed to the virus. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) testing protocol, test results must be submitted within 24 hours of taking samples. At present, BMC is conducting approximately 5,000 tests for Covid-19 daily.
A spokesperson for Metropolis said it had cleared its backlog. “As the largest lab chain in Maharashtra with the highest capacity for Covid-19 tests, our only aim is to serve the testing needs of the city and the state. We have also extended our offer to do tens of thousands of free tests for those who are unable to afford [tests] and are awaiting formal approval,” said the spokesperson.
While civic officials have criticised private labs for taking two to three days to deliver results, the latter have said BMC is not holding civic-run labs to the same standards.
“BMC is just blaming us for late submission. Have they checked the timing of their own labs? We are all overwhelmed and overstretched. Closing down labs, even temporarily, will only add to the pressure,” said an official from another private lab.