52 labs made functional across India for coronavirus testing


PTI, Mar 7, 2020, 3:48 PM IST

New Delhi: 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-19 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.

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 27were 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 raising awareness about steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

In Andhra Pradesh, labs at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences in Tirupati, Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam and GMC, Anantapur have been made operational while in Assam, labs at Gauhati Medical College in Guwahati and Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh have been activated.

In Bihar, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, in Chandigarh, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research and AIIMS in Chhattisgarh have the designated laboratories.

In Delhi, the facility of sample testing has been made available at AIIMS and the National Centre for Disease Control while in Gujarat, the facilities are available in B J Medical College in Ahmedabad and M P Shah Government Medical College in Jamnagar.

Laboratories in Pt B D Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak and B P S Govt Medical College in Sonipat in Haryana have been made functional while the Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla and Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Med. College, Kangra, Tanda have been activated in Himachal Pradesh.

Testing facilities have been activated in Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar and Government Medical College of Jammu.

Laboratories in Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute and National Institute of Virology Field Unit in Bangalore, Mysore Medical College & Research Institute of Mysore, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan and Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, in Shivamogga have been designated as authorised ones in Karnataka.

National Institute of Virology Field Unit and Govt Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, and Govt. Medical College, Kozhikhodehave the testing laboratories in Kerala.

Besides, AIIMS, Bhopal and National Institute of Research in Tribal Health(NIRTH), Jabalpur have been designated for testing in Madhya Pradesh.

Sawai Man Singh in Jaipur and Dr S N Medical College in Jodhpur, Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar and S P Medical College, Bikaner in Rajasthan have testing facilities while Gandhi Medical College in Secunderabad and Kings George Medical University, Lucknow, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh have been authorised to carry out tests for coronavirus.

Also, testing facilities have been made operational at Government Medical College of Haldwani in Uttarakhand and the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases and IPGMER in Kolkata in West Bengal among others.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Derogatory word against minister: AICC leader Surjewala calls for strict action against BJP MLC

Case registered against unknown persons who attempted to attack BJP MLC Ravi

Delhi polls: BJP issues ‘chargesheet’ against Kejriwal; vows to remove AAP from power

PVR INOX rejigs media biz, appoints Chief Sales Officer Shalu Sabharwal as head

Mastermind of kidnapping gang targeting celebrities arrested after encounter in UP’s Bijnor

Neelamangala accident: Tried avoiding hitting car in front, lost control, claims truck driver

Gurdaspur grenade attack: 3 Khalistani terrorists gunned down in encounter in UP

Related Articles More

Unnao rape survivor father’s death: Delhi HC extends Kuldeep Sengar’s interim bail till January 20

Police to train Delhi school teachers to deal with bomb threats

Maha Kumbh 2025: 50,000 police personnel to ensure safety of pilgrims

Epigamia founder Rohan Mirchandani dies of cardiac arrest at age 42

Turned dreams of people into source of income: Priyanka slams govt over GST on exam forms

MUST WATCH

Tulunadu Daivaradane

Feeding Birds with Creative Paddy Art!

Areca Nut

HOTEL SRI DURGA BHAVANA

Harish Poonja


Latest Additions

Unnao rape survivor father’s death: Delhi HC extends Kuldeep Sengar’s interim bail till January 20

Police to train Delhi school teachers to deal with bomb threats

Derogatory word against minister: AICC leader Surjewala calls for strict action against BJP MLC

Maha Kumbh 2025: 50,000 police personnel to ensure safety of pilgrims

Epigamia founder Rohan Mirchandani dies of cardiac arrest at age 42

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.