Now, pvt labs to report dengue positive cases to health department

Tracking and monitoring of such cases will be possible if all pathologies report cases to health dept DR AK SINGH, director (infectious diseases), UP Health Directorate

LUCKNOW: Private pathologies in the state conducting dengue test will have to share the results daily with health department.

The health department, on Saturday, has issued directives in this regard.

“Private pathologies conducting both rapid or Elisa tests will share the results with the administration / health department in their respective districts,” said Dr AK Singh, director (infectious diseases), UP Health Directorate.

“Hospitals report dengue cases but many positive dengue patients take medicine and rest at home. Tracking and monitoring of such cases will be possible if all pathologies report positive dengue cases to health department,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general association of international doctors.

He said instructions have been given to all chief medical officers for ensuring reporting by private labs, something that government labs were doing already. “The ELISA test, considered a confirmatory test, will be accepted as a positive dengue case while for rapid test result confirmatory test shall be done,” he said.

“Also rates for rapid and ELISA tests have been decided at district level keeping in view the transport cost to be invested by the labs. Rates for sampling at lab and that from home are different but fixed by the authorities,” said Dr Singh.

The state has till now reported over 12000 dengue cases, Lucknow alone has reported 1500 cases.

Doctors said though majority patients of dengue are recuperating at home yet those getting infected with dengue were experiencing high fever and severe joint pain.