Govt directive yet to come, pvt hosps start sending Nipah suspect samples for testing
Times of India | 16 January 2026
Kolkata: Several private hospitals have decided to send samples of Nipah suspects for ‘designated' testing without waiting for a govt directive. Since hospitals in Kolkata do not have testing facilities for Nipah, there could be a delay in treatment, hospitals feared.
Even though suspected patients are being screened and will be segregated, it may take at least five days for a sample to be tested and confirmed for the virus. Patients with milder symptoms may slip through the net of suspicion if diagnosis takes time, hospitals felt. "Since AIIMS, Kalyani is a designated centre, we decided to send the samples without waiting for a govt nod. Both reports tested negative," said Fortis Hospital internal medicine consultant Joydeep Ghosh.
BP Poddar Hospital has tied up with a ‘designated Nipah testing lab' in Hyderabad. "Physical reports are received within 48 hours, while electronic reports are available by the next day," said group advisor Supriyo Chakrabarty.
At Charnock Hospital, two isolation beds in the ICU were kept ready for suspected patients, though the hospital did not receive any. "We instructed our doctors in an emergency to screen for symptoms of respiratory diseases and isolate patients who look like suspects. In case we get one, the patient's samples will be sent to AIIMS, Kalyani. Any patient with high fever, altered mental state or shortness of breath will be screened for Nipah," said Soumya Sengupta, pulmonology head at Charnock.
"It could take five days to a week for a test report to reach us if it goes through the govt channel. An infected patient with mild symptoms poses a threat, as he or she would invariably come into contact with several others in the community. Delay in protocol issuance would increase the chances of a spread," said an official of a pvt hospital.
Peerless Hospital has a four-bed isolation unit ready since Covid. "We hope to receive a directive soon," said Peerless CEO Sudipta Mitra. It could take several days for a collected sample to be confirmed as positive or negative, said Peerless chief microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhury.
"We are still waiting for a govt directive on sending samples and isolating patients. We received feedback from unconfirmed sources that suspects will have to be sent to Beliaghata ID. But what if we receive a patient before the directive comes?" asked a hospital head. Woodlands Hospital formed a four-member committee to review the situation and started screening patients. "We are screening silently now and will step up measures once the govt directive comes," said CEO Rupak Barua.
Some hospitals like Desun have decided to issue an internal advisory without waiting for the govt directive. CMRI Hospital has identified 14 isolation beds for Nipah. "We are waiting for the govt directive on testing and isolation but are ready to deal with symptomatic patients," said Sombrata Ray, unit head of CMRI Hospital. Ruby General Hospital, too, has four isolation beds ready.