When doctors told Paras Bafna that his 16-year-old daughter did not need a swine flu test, he insisted that she get one.
And he turned out to be right too. She did test positive.
"I insisted on a test and they finally did it. She tested positive. Fortunately treatment has now started," he said.
But there are several parents who are being turned away. All they want is to rule out the virus. But the central government clearly says that tests are not mandatory unless the case demands it. Here's why.
TESTING ALL NOT POSSIBLE
- Supply of material required to conduct the tests is limited since they are imported
- With 168 countries reporting H1N1 swine flu, global demand is huge and growing
- Randomly testing everyone will mean acute shortage
- Protocol says doctors to decide on taking throat and nose swabs after clinical examination
"It costs 10,000 rupees and so we can't test everyone who comes in. Only those who really need it will be tested," says Ghulam Nabi Azad.
But as swine flu cases increase by the day, many are wondering, why private labs cannot be involved.
"Why the government only do it? Why can't private labs also do the testing?" - this was an impassioned plea by a mother.
The government says the private sector does not have the wherewithal to carry out these tests safely and with precision. Caught in this battle, families can only pray that the disease doesn't come home.
