Manipal Hospital — Covid-19 Reporting by MH, Whitefield

My daughter had registered and given swab sample for a CBNAAT Covid-19 test at 9 AM on 7 January, at MH, Whitefield, with the assurance that the report will be made available by evening. This was specifically communicated and confirmed at the time of sample collection as my daughter had an international flight to USA at 02:10 AM in the night and USA mandated that a negative Covid-19 report be done 24 hours prior.

From 4:30 PM in the evening, we were repeatedly conveyed the same message at intervals of every 30 mins that "the report will be released within the next 30 mins" - a false promise made by the lab team that went to cause great anguish and agony as mentioned next. Even until, 8:30 PM we had not received any report, inspite of regular reach out calls/ attempts being made, 90% of them being un-responded and un-answered to. This left us helpless and distraught resulting in great anguish and agony as we had to eventually proceed to the airport **without any Covid-19 report in hand** - a big let down from a medical instituation like Manipal Hospital. We finally had to seek recourse from an alternate test provider at KIAL after reaching the airport around 10 PM (Auriga Research), post which we received **their report within 15 mins** and were able to travel as planned.

We finally received the Covid-19 CBNAAT report, that too, **after calling the lab** around 10:30 PM.

I have the following specific questions regarding my agonizing experience with Covid-19 testing at MH, Whitefield:

1. What was the reason for the extra-ordinary delay in release of the Covid-19 CBNAAT Report (which the world-over is known to be faster than RT-PCR)?
2. Why was I wrongly committed an SLA of 5 PM?
3. Why was I repeatedly communicated a wrong revised release time of the Covid-19 CBNAAT report from 5 PM onwards every 30 mins, until, 10:30 PM, given that that the purpose of the report, viz. International Flight to USA, was communicated at 9 AM itself, and thereafter at every contact with lab team?
4. What is the agreed and published SLA for a Covid-19 CBNAAT report, in the backdrop of the various guidelines/ penalties stipulated by various local/ state governing bodies like the BBMP, etc.?

Need responses to my queries/ complaint raised above.

Regards,
JM