Indigenous tests kits to be ready by mid-May: Centre

› Around mid May we will have indigenous development of good antibody test kits, and kits for detection of the virus .... HARSH VARDHAN, Minister of health and family welfare

NEW DELHI: Indigenous antibody-based rapid test kits and real-time polymerase chain reaction swabbased kits for Covid-19 developed by laboratories running under the ministry of science and technology will be ready around the middle of May, said health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

“The next couple of weeks are going to be crucial as we will get to see results of some of our research and development work by scientists working under the ministry of science and technology. Around mid May we will have indigenous development of good quality antibody test kits, and also kits for detection of the virus (RT-PCR kits). All of this will come in May; thanks to our scientists,” he said.

The institutes and companies collaborating on these projects include Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, Central University of Kerala, and Dhiti Life Sciences Pvt Ltd.

The minister, along with Amitabh Kant from Niti Aayog, reviewed the work of various non-government organisations and civil society members involved in helping the government in managing the Covid-19 situation on Thursday.

The science and technology ministry is working on a number of other projects in the field of diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccine against the viral infection.

“There is a varied range of projects, be it discovery of the new drugs or repurposing of the existing drug molecules for finding out solutions to Covid-19, or looking at vaccine development, which our scientists are working on. We have half a dozen vaccine candidates, of which four candidates are in a significantly advanced stage,” said Harsh Vardhan.

Harsh Vardhan is also the minister for science and technology.

There are various labs under the department of biotechnology and council of scientific and industrial research that are into genetic sequencing of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

“The viral sequencing is happening at about 1000 labs across the country functioning under the department of biotechnology and at about 500 labs under the council of scientific and industrial research,” he said.

Experts feel it is high time India starts focusing on make in India products. “…why should we depend on Chinese or products from any other country when we have the capability to manufacture indigenously? We should encourage Indian manufacturers by protecting their investments and creating a market for them,” says Dr T Jacob John, former head of virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore.