Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three new high-throughout ICMR COVID-19 testing labs in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata on July 27, 2020. During his virtual address, the Prime Minister highlighted that the labs will not remain restricted to testing COVID samples.
PM Modi stated that the three new-high end ICMR labs will be expanded and used for testing of many other diseases in the future, post-COVID, such as Dengue, Hepatitis B & C and HIV.
These labs will not remain restricted to testing of #COVID19 but will be expanded for testing of many other diseases including Hepatitis B & C, HIV, & Dengue in future: PM Modi at launch of 3 new high-throughput labs of ICMR at Noida, Kolkata & Mumbai through video conference pic.twitter.com/muEOcf4m0m
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2020
The Prime Minister also noted that India currently has more than 11,000 COVID-19 facilities and more then 11 lakh isolation beds. He reiterated that India also has almost 1300 testing labs and over 5 lakh tests are being conducted every single day.
Today, there are more than 11,000 COVID19 facilities & more than 11 lakh isolation beds in the country. We also have nearly 1300 testing labs in the country & more than 5 lakh tests are being conducted daily: PM at launch of high throughput COVID19 testing facilities in 3 cities pic.twitter.com/RPM5Gi0poe
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2020
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan also participated in the virtual event along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
Significance
These three new COVID-19 testing labs are expected to majorly boost the nation’s COVID-19 testing capacities. They are also expected to help strengthen early detection and treatment of the virus thus, helping in controlling its spread.
Key Highlights
• The Union Government has adopted the test-track-treat strategy for early detection and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The government had asked the state governments and union territories to ramp up their testing capacities as well.
• In line with this, the ICMR has ramped up its testing capabilities to effectively deal with Coronavirus crisis.
• The three new COVID testing facilities have been set up at ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research in Noida, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata and the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai.
• The facilities have the capacity to test over ten thousand samples in a day. These labs will also reduce the exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials.
• The labs have been enabled to test diseases other than COVID as well. Post COVID-pandemic, the labs will test for Dengue, Hepatitis B and C, HIV and TB.
Background
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. The council mainly helps in coordinating and promoting biomedical research in the country. It is currently majorly helping with COVID-19 tests across the country on a daily basis.
The ICMR along with Bharat Biotech has also developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVAXIN, which is undergoing its first phase of human trials.
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