AMN / NEW DELHI
Indian Council of Medical Research has said that a total of one lakh ninety five thousand seven hundred forty eight samples have been tested so far for COVID-19. Yesterday, 15 thousand 583 samples were tested.
ICMR has scaled up its testing facilities by giving approval to 156 government laboratories and three collection centres. In addition, 68 private laboratories’ chains have also been given approval to coduct the test for COVID-19.
ICMR is expeditiously expanding its COVID-19 testing facilities in all parts of the country. It has devised its augmented plan to fast-track the COVID-19 testing laboratory. The plan includes, proactive search of potential laboratories which could be enabled for COVID-19 testing. It also includes inviting applications from all eligible private and government medical colleges. The plan states that as per directives of Home Affairs and Health and Family Welfare Minister, a core team under Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, Director and Director General, ICMR, a total of 14 Centres of Excellence have been designated. These centres have been delegated the responsibility of mentoring all the government and private medical colleges in their catchment area and eventually creating state-of-art molecular virology setups.