Swab sample tests for the novel coronavirus have slowed at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in the past two days because of a shortage of examination kits, multiple sources in the medical establishment in the region have told The Telegraph.

“There is a shortage of kits and that’s why the rate of testing is low,” said a source in the hospital, north Bengal’s only referral health facility.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has designated the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) of NBMCH as a testing facility for the new coronavirus. It is the only such facility in north Bengal, which is also catering to neighbouring Sikkim.

The NBMCH authorities said they were conducting tests, while conceding that they had asked for more kits. A senior official in Sikkim, however, said there was a shortage of testing kits at NBMCH.

“We had not been sending samples to NBMCH for tests since Sunday as the hospital authorities had informed us that the RNA extraction kits were out of stock. It is only on Thursday that we sent eight samples, after getting the green signal from them,” said P.T. Bhutia, the director-general-cum-secretary of the Sikkim health department.

In India, Sikkim is the only state where no positive coronavirus case has been recorded so far.

Till date, all 70-odd swab samples that were sent for tests to authorised labs outside Sikkim have tested negative. “Till 2pm on Thursday, 3,391 people are in home quarantine and nine others are in quarantine centres across Sikkim,” Bhutia said.

Sources said the stock of RNA extraction kits and viral transport media (VTM) kits, which are used for coronavirus tests, were inadequate at NBMCH.

Prabir Deb, the principal of NBMCH, said they had sent requisitions to the Bengal health department in Calcutta.

“We are carrying out necessary tests at the VRDL. Requisition for more kits has been sent to the state and we hope to get them by Friday,” he said.

G.K. Dhali, a senior doctor who has been sent by the Bengal government from Calcutta to oversee the treatment of Covid-19 patients and those suspected t0 have contracted the infection, said 30 samples were tested at the lab on Thursday.

“Also, the private nursing home (Desun Hospital) that has been selected for suspected corona patients will start functioning from Friday. Those found to be suffering from severe acute respiratory infection will be sent there. A molecular biologist from Calcutta will come to NBMCH to assist the medics here,” Dhali said.

As of now, eight Covid-19 patients are under treatment at Dr Chhang’s Super Specialty Hospital, a private nursing home in Matigara block on the outskirts of Siliguri that has been earmarked for coronavirus patients.