Boost Covid-19 testing capacity: Amarinder Singh to PM Modi

TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 07:10 IST

Amarinder Singh

CHANDIGARH: To overcome overstretched and limited testing capacities in the state, particularly amid the movement of migrants back home, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has sought immediate enhancement of viral testing capacity at each of the six premier research institutions located in the state and Chandigarh to 2,000 tests a day.
These institutions are: PGIMER Chandigarh (MoHFW), IMTECH-CSIR Chandigarh (DST), Indian Institute of Science Education & Research Mohali (MoHRD), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Mohali (DoPh), National Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Mohali (DoBT) and Central University, Bathinda (MoHRD). Amarinder on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to issue urgent directives to these institutions to scale up testing capacity to assist the state government in its public health response to Covid-19. The state government, he said, was making all possible efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in keeping with the guidelines issued by the Centre from time to time.
In his letter, Amarinder said Punjab had already requested these institutions of Government of India located in Punjab and Chandigarh to provide viral testing capacity of 2,000 tests daily. An official claimed that the state had till date conducted a cumulative of 24,908 tests for Covid-19, of which about 1,000 were found positive. Of these tests, 20,729 have been conducted in Government Medical Colleges (Patiala, Amritsar, Faridkot).