prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three high throughput Covid-19 testing facilities on Monday. The labs are aimed at ramping up coronavirus testing capacity in the country and help in strengthening early detection and treatment, thus assisting in controlling the spread of the pandemic.
Addressing the event via video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the new testing facilities will give West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh more strength to fight Covid-19. The prime minister said that Delhi-NCR, Kolkata and Mumbai were economic hubs with major migrant activities, thus it was crucial to add to their testing capacities. In Covid-19 fight, we have come to a point where we do not lack awareness, scientific data is expanding, resources are increasing, Modi said that there was a need to further expand the health infrastructure for Covid response across the country, especially in rural areas. He also cautioned the public against Covid-19 spread during the upcoming festive season.
These three high-throughput testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida; ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai; and ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, and will be able to test over 10,000 samples in a day, a government statement said.
These labs will also reduce turn-around-time and exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials. The labs are enabled to test diseases other than Covid as well, and post the pandemic, will be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, Neisseria, Dengue, etc, the statement said.
Samiksha Bharti News Service




