Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar here on Wednesday said that the State government would establish a diagnostic laboratory at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) within a week to conduct examinations for COVID-19.

Addressing the elected representatives and officials during the COVID-19 preparedness review meeting at the Mandya Zilla Panchayat auditorium here, the Minister said that the State had only two laboratories during the initial days of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. However, as many as 26 laboratories have been established in the last one month.

All the newly established laboratories have been accredited by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Similar laboratories would be established at 15 government and 50 private medical colleges in a fortnight, the Minister said.

According to him, as many as 55,117 persons have been tested for COVID-19 in the State so far. The demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) kits in Karnataka is 3 lakh and of them 55,000 kits, with good quality, have been procured already, he said.

The minister has suggested that the district administration have at least two mobile swab collection units.

‘Shift slum’

Mandya MP Sumalatha has urged the State government to shift Tamil Colony slum, which is attached to the MIMS, and develop the MIMS into a super speciality hospital.

Mr. Sudhakar said that lockdown is not a solution to combat COVID-19. The people have to adopt certain changes in their life-style and strictly follow the guidelines suggested for effectively fighting the epidemics.

Minister for Municipal Administration, Horticulture and Sericulture K.C. Narayana Gowda, Mandya Deputy Commissioner M.V. Venkatesh, Superintendent of Police K. Parashuram, ZP president Nagaratna; MLAs C.S. Puttaraju, M. Srinivas, A.S. Ravindra Srikantaiah, K. Suresh Gowda, and K. Annadani, and others were present.