HYDERABAD: The Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) is ready for testing the samples in swine flu cases. The IPM officials are learnt to have successfully cleared the preconditions set by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) to become the first `Swine Flu
Diagnostic Lab’ in South India.

According to sources, the IPM officials have already reported to higher officials in the Health
and Medical Department on their ability to accurately test the samples.

The officials are to submit a report to Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy during a review meeting to be held in a couple of days. The `Swine Flu Diagnostic Lab’ at the IPM is likely to be operationalised by this weekend.

``The Chief Minister will announce the operation of the Diagnostic Lab officially during the meeting on swine flu,’’ said a senior official in the Health and Medical Department.

Till date, the doctors
of the Government Chest Hospital had to send the throat and nasal swabs of suspected swine flu patients to NICD at New Delhi wait for at least two days to get a final report. The operation of the Diagnostic Lab at the IPM will save time and also airfare for transportation of the samples to New Delhi, which was about Rs 2,000 for each sample.

The efforts of the Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology (CCMB) for establishing another diagostic centre on its premises by next month, is in progress.

Meanwhile, two new cases of the A H1N1 Influenza were confirmed in the State today. Both cases were indigenous cases with no history of foreign travel, according to an official release.