Coronavirus Outbreak: 52 Labs Made Functional Across India for COVID-19 Testing
As on March 6, a total of 4,058 samples from 3,404 individuals have been tested by the network. This includes testing of 1,308 samples from 654 individuals evacuated from Wuhan, China and quarantined at ITBP and Manesar Camp and tested twice on days 0 and 14.
New Delhi, March 7: In the wake of 31 confirmed cases of coronavirus in India so far, the Union health ministry has made functional 52 laboratories for testing samples while 57 labs have been designated for helping in sample collection for COVID-19Ā to enhance capacity for diagnosis and detection of the disease.
"Following the increase in load of screening samples from suspected cases with symptoms and travel history to the affected countries, the Department of Health Research/ICMR has commissioned 52 laboratories for COVID-19 testing in India," an official said.Ā COVID-19 Outbreak: 47 New Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in UK, Total Infections Stand at 163.
As on March 6, a total of 4,058 samples from 3,404 individuals have been tested by the network. This includes testing of 1,308 samples from 654 individuals evacuated from Wuhan, China and quarantined at ITBP and Manesar Camp and tested twice on days 0 and 14.
Subsequently, another 236 individuals evacuated from Wuhan and Diamond Princess Ship, Japan on February 27Ā were tested on day 0. Repeat testing will be done on day 14.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday sought strict action against those charging inflated prices for face masks. During a review meeting on coronavirus outbreak, he stressed on the importance of states keeping quarantine facilities, isolation wards and testing labs in active readiness.
So far, India has 31 confirmed cases of the infection, which includes 16 Italians, while nearly 29,000 people have been put under observation. Vardhan held the meeting with health ministers and chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, central ministers and representatives from organisations concerned through video conferencing and underlined the importance of communicating with the masses and rasing awareness about steps to prevent spread of the virus.
In Andhra Pradesh, labs at SriĀ VenkateswaraĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ MedicalĀ Sciences in Tirupati, AndhraĀ MedicalĀ College in Visakhapatnam and GMC,Ā Anantapur have been made operational while in Assam, labs at GauhatiĀ MedicalĀ College in Guwahati and RegionalĀ MedicalĀ ResearchĀ Centre,Ā Dibrugarh have been activated.
In Bihar, RajendraĀ MemorialĀ ResearchĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ MedicalĀ Sciences,Ā Patna, inĀ Chandigarh, the PostĀ GraduateĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ MedicalĀ EducationĀ &Ā Research and AIIMS in Chhattisgarh have the designated laboratories. In Delhi, the facility of sample testing has been made available atĀ AIIMS and the NationalĀ CentreĀ forĀ DiseaseĀ Control while in Gujarat, the facilites are available in BJĀ MedicalĀ College in Ahmedabad and M.P.ShahĀ GovernmentĀ MedicalĀ College in Jamnagar.Ā Coronavirus Outbreak: WHO Urges World to Take Virus More Seriously, Says āThis Is Not a Drillā.
Laboratories in Pt.Ā B.D.Ā SharmaĀ PostĀ GraduateĀ Inst.Ā ofĀ Med.Ā Sciences in Rohtak and BPSĀ GovtĀ MedicalĀ College in Sonipat in Haryana have been made functional whileĀ the IndiraĀ GandhiĀ MedicalĀ College in Shimla andĀ Dr RajendraĀ PrasadĀ Govt Med.Ā College, Kangra,Ā Tanda have been activated in Himachal Pradesh.
Testing facilities have been activated in Sher-I-Kashmir InstituteĀ ofĀ MedicalĀ Sciences in Srinagar and GovernmentĀ MedicalĀ College of Jammu. Laboratories in BangaloreĀ MedicalĀ CollegeĀ &Ā ResearchĀ Institute and NationalĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ VirologyĀ FieldĀ Unit in Bangalore, MysoreĀ MedicalĀ CollegeĀ &Ā ResearchĀ Institute of Mysore, HassanĀ Inst.Ā ofĀ Med.Ā Sciences,Ā Hassan and ShimogaĀ Inst.Ā ofĀ Med.Ā Sciences, in Shivamogga have been designated as authorised ones in Karnataka.
NationalĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ VirologyĀ FieldĀ Unit andĀ Govt.Ā MedicalĀ College, Thriuvananthapuram, and Govt.Ā MedicalĀ College,Ā KozhikhodeĀ have the testing laboratories in Kerala.
Besides, AIIMS,Ā Bhopal and NationalĀ InstituteĀ ofĀ ResearchĀ inĀ TribalĀ HealthĀ (NIRTH),Ā Jabalpur have been designated for testing in Madhya Pradesh.
SawaiĀ ManĀ Singh in Jaipur and Dr.Ā S.NĀ MedicalĀ College in Jodhpur, JhalawarĀ MedicalĀ College,Ā Jhalawar and SPĀ Med.Ā College,Ā Bikaner in Rajasthan have testing facilities while GandhiĀ MedicalĀ College in Secunderabad and King'sĀ GeorgeĀ MedicalĀ University,Ā Lucknow, InstituteĀ ofĀ MedicalĀ Sciences,Ā BanarasĀ HinduĀ University,Ā VaranasiĀ and JawaharlalĀ NehruĀ MedicalĀ College,Ā Aligarh have been authorised to carry out tests for coronavirus.
Also, testing facilities have been made operational at GovernmentĀ Medical College of Haldwani in Uttarakhand and the National Institute of CholeraĀ andĀ EntericĀ Diseases and IPGMER in Kolkata in West Bengal among others.