Pune: In multiple cases of a major data leak, patients who recovered from the novel coronavirus from past few months are receiving getting phone calls and messages from the private laboratories for antibody tests at a huge discount.

Many people have already approached the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) and demanded to take strict action. Meanwhile, the health department has asked private laboratories not to declare the personal details of patients of COVID-19 suspects.

Sandeep Khardekar of Creative Foundation has raised a question. "This is a serious concern. Also, how does the information of the suspects reached the private testing centres? They should be restricted in this regard," he said in a statement to the corporation.

Dr Sanjeev Wavre, Deputy Medical Officer said, "About 6.5 lakh have been tested in the city so far. Of these, three lakh citizens have been tested in private labs. The details of the suspects in the tests conducted at the municipal centres are never released. However, private testing centres will have to be investigated. If patient information is being linked, it is a serious matter. Private testing centres will be informed that the details of the suspects will not be leaked. They will also be made aware that positive patients should be informed immediately. Otherwise, the corporation will take action against them. Wavre explained.

The city has witnessed a surge of coronavirus cases in the in the past few months although recovery rate is quite high much more than the state average — at 76 per cent. Many recovered patients have also come forward to donate plasma in the city as a social responsibility as they can help the other patients to recover from the contagion.