Tirupati's SVIMS fully prepared to conduct coronavirus tests

TIRUPATI: With Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, receiving 200 test kits from the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Friday evening, the hospital is fully prepared to conduct tests for suspected coronavirus cases.

SVIMS Superintendent and HoD of Nephrology, Professor Ram said, "Hereafter, there is no need to send the samples to Hyderabad and Pune for confirmation. But the result will be shared with the NIV for final confirmation in case of a positive result."

'We have set up a six-bed isolation ICU equipping it with the ventilators, monitors, personal protective equipment and others. We have been maintaining stocks of medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits in sufficient numbers. Post graduates, interns, and faculty members have been oriented on the clinical features of the COVID-19 for easy diagnosis," he added. 

A six-member-team, including three senior and three junior faculty members, who are experts in dealing with the cases of viral epidemics, have been formed for quick diagnosis of the virus. 

The team was also trained in specimen processing which is the primary part of the analysis. Normally, it takes around seven hours for the diagnosis of the samples. The collected samples from the persons would be sent for specimen processing that takes three hours primarily.

Further, the samples would be sent to a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) which takes another three hours. After collecting the two reports, they would be combined and documentation would be prepared, and it requires minimum one hour.

Finally, the computer-generated report would be sent to the NIV, for a final decision.