The second facility to test the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Uttarakhand started on Monday with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh announcing that its virology lab has started conducting the test. Prior to it the laboratory of the Government Medical College Haldwani was the only facility in the State where tests of COVID-19 were being conducted. The director of the AIIMS Rihsikesh, Ravikant said that the virology lab has got the approval of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct the test of COVID-19. The ICMR has also provided the institute 150 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kits to conduct the test. In the second phase, 300 more kits would be provided. The in-charge of virology lab of AIIMS Rishikesh, Dr Deepjyoti Kalita said that 25 tests per day can be conducted in the laboratory and after two weeks the number of tests would be increased to 50 per day. She said that the institute has trained 10 PG doctors, junior residents and PhD students to conduct the test. Dr Kalita added that as per the protocol of ICMR, three days are needed for releasing the result of a positive test and two days for a negative test.
The staff officer of the AIIMS director, Dr Madhur Uniyal said that 100 bed isolation ward has started functioning at the AIIMS Rishikesh for the patients of the COVID-19 and suspected cases of the disease. He added that the number of beds would be increased further in view of the patients.
