Uttar Pradesh to have Rs 150-crore lab on NIV pattern

Subhash Mishra | TNN | Updated: Apr 8, 2020, 13:36 IST

Testing facility for coronavirus begins in Prayagraj on Tuesday

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has given his nod for setting up of first of its kind highly advanced laboratory which apart from detecting novel coronavirus infection would also be able to identify a biological warfare to enable authorities to initiate remedial steps. This idea of setting up of this advanced laboratory on the pattern of National Institute of Virology, Pune at KGMU here is part of the CM's multi-pronged strategy for speedy development of medical infrastructure in the state for fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Chairing a high-level meeting of health and medical officers here on Tuesday, the CM okayed a proposal for setting up an ultramodern moleculor laboratory, equipped for biosafety and biosecurity at par with the NIV, Pune in the state. The lab would be set up with an estimated outlay of Rs 150 crore, said a senior officer who attended the meeting convened by the CM. His focus was on making available testing facilities at all government run medical colleges and science institutes. At divisional headquarters which do not have medical colleges district hospitals should be upgraded to start test facility, he added.
For developing testing facilities and setting up more laboratories, the CM has set up a committee which would be headed by principal secretary, medical education, Rajneesh Dubey.
Sources said that the CM himself reviewed the novel coronavirus testing facilities at medical colleges and other institutes and asked authorities concerned to set up an advanced laboratory not only for Covid-19 testing, but it should also be capable of detecting a bio attack. On other decisions of the CM, additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi said that he had laid stress on setting up molecular laboratories at all 27 medical colleges of the state and institutions at the earliest.
Later, speaking to TOI, principal secretary, medical education and chairman of the newly formed committee Rajneesh Dubey, said that the BSL-3 labs would have advanced facilities, including negative air pressure technique, which would protect the research staff from catching any infection as the airflow would be restricted at the exit points.