UP to get more equipment to increase testing
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh will soon get more equipment for laboratories in order to increase the average number of coronavirus tests conducted daily, according to those in the know of things.
At present, 7,000-8,000 tests a day are conducted in 26 labs in the state. With more machines, the number of tests per day is likely to cross the 12,000-mark.
“We had ordered for RNA extractors and (True NET/CB NET) machines that are on the way now. With these machines, we hope to increase the number of tests conducted every day,” said Dr Vikasendu Agrawal, state surveillance officer in the health department. The first lot is likely to bring 20 such machines to the state.
Asked which labs will get the new equipment and by how much the number of tests will increase, Dr Agrawal said this will be decided in a day or two. The rise in the number of tests is expected to be gradual with the installation of new machines.
“The True-Net machines can test coronavirus samples faster within two hours, while other machines take four to five hours. There are few such machines in the state. With more coming, this will help a lot in emergency cases like road accidents etc,” said Dr Ved Prakash, head of the department of pulmonary critical care medicine at King George’s Medical University.
“Otherwise, doctors operate on patients in such emergency cases with full protective gear (against infection), considering it to be a coronavirus positive case. But now they can be sure whether the person is (coronavirus) positive or not,” said Dr Ved Prakash, who is also officer on special duty to the Meerut Medical College.
A major chunk of total tests in the state is done in Lucknow.
King George’s Medical University (KGMU) conducts around 1,000 tests per day. The microbiology lab here has done a maximum 1,500 tests in one day till now, but the average is over 1,000.
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) extraction machines help extract RNA from the sample and indicate whether it is positive or negative. Compared to manual kits, RNA extractor is faster, said Dr Sheetal Verma, senior faculty, KGMU.
In Lucknow, the other labs for testing coronavirus samples are at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Command Hospital, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences. Collectively, over 2500 tests are done every day in Lucknow.
“We are presently conducting over 400 tests and have asked for True NET machine and RNA extractor. We shall be able to conduct over 550 cases per day,” said Prof AK Tripathi, director Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.
Till now, Uttar Pradesh has conducted 2,47,765 tests with the help of 26 labs.