GSVM testing lab starts functioning

TNN | Updated: Apr 14, 2020, 10:50 IST

KANPUR: The newly setup laboratory for testing Covid-19 cases started functioning in the microbiology department of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi memorial (GSVM) medical college here on Monday.
Inaugurating the lab, divisional commissioner Sudhir M Bobde said that the lab would be a boon for not only patients of the city but also patients of nearby eleven districts.
The samples, which had been so far tested in KGMU and SGPGI Lucknow, would now be tested in the new lab, he said.
The commissioner stated that the lab, to operate 24X7, would test 46 samples in five hours and 92 samples in a day. "Our priority is to test maximum samples especially of the hotspot areas free of cost. Necessary regents and other chemicals used in testing should be stored, he added.
One more machine would be installed in the district soon, he said. He praised the efforts of doctors and the medical department for their devotion. The health department would soon be equipped with a rapid testing kit, he further said.
Dr Aarti Lalchandani, principal, GSVM medical college said that a sample of a suspected case was fetched from KGMU Lucknow and tested on the new RTPCR machine. The test report then was sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which gave its approval on Sunday.
District magistrate Brahmadeo Ram Tiwari, principal of GSVM medical college Dr Aarti Lalchandani, CMO Dr Ashok Shukla, municipal commissioner Akshay Tripathi and other officials were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, a sanitizing tunnel was also set up the Covid-19 ward on Monday which was inaugurated by the district magistrate, Kanpur Nagar.
The fully automatic tunnel is equipped with 10 sensor-based nozels. As one enters into the tunnel, the sensor-based nozels start fogging and sanitize a person within 15 seconds. The fully transparent tunnel is also equipped with an automatic sensor-based dispenser to sanitize hands.
Kanpur Press Club organized a blood donation camp at a city hospital.
As many as 25 journalists donated blood in the camp.