To add to the convenience of patients in times of emergencies, Super Religare Laboratories (SRL), India's largest network of diagnostic labs, has offered to collect samples for H1N1 testing direct from your home, at a price that is affordable and much cheaper than the going rate.

SRL is augmenting its service by providing ten fully equipped mobile collection vans for the convenience of the residents of the NCR. "This would certainly help reduce the anxiety and fear associated with this Influenza virus in the minds of people and would reduce the traffic-load at healthcare facilities," said Dr Sanjeev Chaudhry, CEO, SRL.

The company is in the process of putting up the facility of sample collection specially equipped vans which would meet the bio-safety norms for isolation etc - the conditions mandatory for sample collection. The customers could just call up the helpline (44121212 / 39401111) and fix up the appointed time at which the team from SRL would be there to collect the sample - and at no extra cost.

SRL had earlier announced that it would be carrying out the H1N1 screening test only for Rs 4500/- and has been carrying out tests for central labs to clear their back-log for Rs 4000/-. Towards this endeavour SRL has tied up with Labindia for procuring CDC/WHO recommended Instrument, primer-probes, reagents & kits from Applied Biosystems USA for conducting the tests.

The SRL lab in Gurgaon yesterday got an approval from the Government of Delhi to carry out sample collection and testing for Swine Flu in Delhi and NCR. The SRL labs, for the past several days, were already in the process of providing Swine Flu testing support to nodal laboratories of the Government of India including the NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases).

Dr Upadhye of Labindia said, "SRL and Labindia have a long standing relationship for carrying out advanced molecular assays and we are extremely privileged to take forward this association to offer the most affordable healthcare solution for Swine Flu testing as per WHO-CDC standards to the people of India."

Corroborated Dr Chaudhry, "From Day One we have been advocating Private-Public partnership to augment the efforts and hard work being put in by the Govt., both at the Central and State levels. In true spirit of the same we had been carrying out the swine flu tests regularly for the Govt. labs for the past few days. Taking a step further, in accordance with our corporate and business philosophy, we have priced the test at a non-exploitative price point of Rs 4500/- for the public so as to enable doctors and their patients to afford the test, if advised."