Number of testing labs increased to 125, private labs to do it for free

The government on Tuesday decided to increase the number of testing labs from 52 to 125 by allowing accredited private labs also to conduct Covid related tests. The government has made it clear that the tests should be done only when prescribed by a qualified physician, as per ICMRNIV norms, and free of cost.

ICMR said that it will share the SOPS for testing and provide positive controls for establishing the test as soon as the concerned private laboratory procures the primers, probes and reagents.

“Adoption of commercial kits for testing should be based on validations conducted by ICMR — National lnstitute of Virology (NlV), Pune and appropriate bio-safety and bio-security precautions should be ensured while collecting samples from a suspect patient,” the ICMR guidelines said.

It added that a disease specific separate collection site should be created and all private testing laboratories have to ensure immediate/ real-time reporting to the State officiats of IDSP and ICMR for timely initiation of

contact tracing research activities.

Guidelines have also been issued for Dead Body Management towards standard precautions, infection prevention and control measures, handling of the body and environmental disinfection. Government also said that guidelines on Clinical Management of COVID-19 triage (early recognition of patients), implementation of infection prevention and control measures have been revised and updated. The Union health ministry has set a process

and

for notifying COVID-19 affected persons by private institutions saying each and every case whether suspected or confirmedshould be isolated and provided appropriate treatment and their contacts traced at the earliest to break the chain of transmission.

“It shall be mandatory for all hospitals (Government and Private), Medical officers in Government health institutions and registered Private Medical Practitioners including AYUSH Practitioners, to