PGI starts coronavirus-testing facility
Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 7
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, today started lab testing facility to check Covid infection. The laboratory has been located on the sixth floor of the Department of Virology.
Man tests negative, another suspected case at PGI
A suspected patient from Jhinjari village, Haryana, who was admitted to the PGI on Thursday night, has tested negative for the virus and has been discharged.
A 33-years-old suspected patient from Zirakpur, who had visited Singapore and Kaula Lumpur (Malaysia) recently, was admitted to the PGI on Saturday. He had complained of sore throat, fever and mild cough for the past three days.
Advertisement‘Walkathone’ postponed
To avoid any health risk associated with the spread of Covid, the UT Administration on Saturday postponed ‘Walkathone’, which was scheduled to be held at Sukhna Lake on Sunday. A total of 1,000 persons were expected to participate in the event.
Holi function cancelled
Meanwhile, a function to celebrate Holi, which was to be held at Hotel Mountview on March 10, was cancelled.
Institute among 52 sites for testing
The PGI is among 52 testing sites for Covid made operational by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) today. From the region, BPS Government Medical College (Sonepat), Indira Gandhi Medical College (Shimla), Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (Kangra), Government Medical College (Patiala), Government Medical College (Amritsar) have also started the service.
The ICMR has told all testing sites in the country to ensure proper disinfection measures and avoid cross-contamination by cleaning all work surfaces in the molecular biology laboratory with bleach followed by 70 per cent ethanol.
PGI Director Prof Jagat Ram said, “We have already received kits from the ICMR. For Covid, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is conducted. All tests will be done with precautions, including N95 masks, gloves and dress. There are currently one lakh gloves and 10,000 masks available at the institute.”
The ICMR made functional 52 laboratories for testing samples while 57 labs have been designated for helping in sample collection to enhance the capacity for diagnosis and detection of the disease.
The Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, has been designated for helping in sample collection for Covid.
