The RT-PCR sample test in Uttar Pradesh is likely to get a boost with three new laboratories that will be set up by the end of the month.
Additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad on Monday said three new laboratories were being set up at Ballia, Jaunpur and Pratapgarh districts for the sample test of suspected Covid-19 patients. The laboratories will start testing samples by end of the month, he said.
The new laboratories will help patients in the backward districts get quick sample test and will also assist the department in checking the spread of the Covid-19 infection.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the health department to increase the sample test, particularly the RT-PCR test which is considered the gold standard of the Covid-19 testing. The department was also directed to set up laboratories in across all 75 districts.
The department is testing around 1.50 lakh samples daily out of which around 50,000 samples are tested with RT-PCR machine at laboratories across the state. On Sunday, 1,35,990 samples were tested taking the total tally of samples tested in the state to 86.76 lakh.
A health department official said, Uttar Pradesh started the fight against Covid-19 with a single laboratory at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow by testing just 72 samples on March 23. Now, the state has over 234 laboratories in government and private sectors.
The 34 RT-PCR laboratories in government sector and 10 RT-PCR laboratories in the private sector are testing 50,000 samples daily. The state’s 14 medical colleges and institutes have RT-PCR labs. RT-PCR labs have also been established in the nine district hospitals. The state has 99 TrueNat test labs at various government hospitals and 70 TrueNat labs at private hospitals. Daily, around 1.5 lakh samples are being tested across the state, he said.
