BELAGAVI: Under pressure from all quarters, the government finally launched pilot testing of throat swab samples for COVID-19 at the ICMR National Institute of Traditional Medicine (NITM) in Belagavi on Wednesday. The process of testing samples will, however, be formally inaugurated on Thursday.

Scientists at the NITM lab successfully conducted reverse transcription polymer as a chain reaction (RT-PCR) of 11 samples. NITM already had the necessary infrastructure and facilities for RT-PCR testing, besides a state-of-the-art laboratory, experienced scientists and skilled manpower.

A detailed proposal for setting up of the laboratory was sent to the Union government for approval from ICMR, and permission was issued on April 16. However, testing could not begin immediately due to lack of necessary equipment which was procured. Swabs of suspects have until now been sent to laboratories in Pune, Bengaluru and Shivamogga for testing, and it is taking the authorities a long time to get results.