PM to launch high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Water Supply project in Manipur, through video conferencing from New Delhi on July 23, 2020. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities on Monday via video conferencing, in presence of Union Health Minister and three chief ministers. The three testing centres will be at Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata and will be able to test over 10,000 samples a day.

The 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.

 

“These facilities will ramp up testing capacity in the country and help in strengthening early detection and treatment, thus assisting in controlling the spread of the pandemic,” said a statement.

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, the statement added.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government received 24,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits out of an order of 1.25 lakh placed with a Chinese company, in Chennai on Apr 18, 2020. (Photo: IANS)

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India crossed 13.8 lakh on Sunday, over 36,000 patients were cured in the last 24 hours, a record so far.

As per the latest data from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the highest ever recoveries in a single day was reported in the last 24 hours with 36,145 COVID-19 patients cured and discharged.

Also Read-TN Records 6k Positive Cases On A Single Day