PATNA: Eight more polymerase chain reaction (PCR) labs would be set up in Bihar in the next few weeks to increase the number of RT-PCR tests for Covid-19 in the state in coming days, Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said on Saturday.
Out of the eight labs, three will be set up through the PM Cares Fund in Motihari, Munger and Purnea. The remaining labs would be established in Buxar, Kaimur, Banka, Nalanda and Bettiah, the minister said during a videoconferencing with the officials of health department and medical colleges. The minister said the ICMR-Delhi has given permission for setting up the eight PCR labs in Bihar.
Choubey said the labs apart, nine RT-PCR machines would be installed in government labs and 17 in government medical colleges to double the daily testing capacity in Bihar. “The number of tests is rapidly increasing in the state and has reached up to over 1 lakh per day. So far, more than 23 lakh Covid tests have been conducted in Bihar,” he claimed.
“Of the 17 proposed RT-PCR machines, four will come up at Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRI) at Patna, where two machines are already operational. Three more machines are to be set up at PMCH, which has only one now. Two machines each will be installed at AIIMS-Patna and IGIMS-Patna. These two institutes already have two RT-PCR machines,” Choubey said.
Giving further details, he said Shri Krishna Medical College at Muzaffarpur, Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital at Gaya, JLNMCH at Bhagalpur and Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Medical College and Hospital at Madhepura will get two machines each whereas five RT-PCR machines have been proposed for Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.
Presently, there are 21 RT-PCR machines across the state. After the setting up of 17 more machines, their number will go up to 38. Around 65% of the Covid-19 tests are being done through rapid antigen testing in Bihar.
The minister said with the increase in testing capacity, people would get better facilities.
Out of the eight labs, three will be set up through the PM Cares Fund in Motihari, Munger and Purnea. The remaining labs would be established in Buxar, Kaimur, Banka, Nalanda and Bettiah, the minister said during a videoconferencing with the officials of health department and medical colleges. The minister said the ICMR-Delhi has given permission for setting up the eight PCR labs in Bihar.
Choubey said the labs apart, nine RT-PCR machines would be installed in government labs and 17 in government medical colleges to double the daily testing capacity in Bihar. “The number of tests is rapidly increasing in the state and has reached up to over 1 lakh per day. So far, more than 23 lakh Covid tests have been conducted in Bihar,” he claimed.
“Of the 17 proposed RT-PCR machines, four will come up at Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRI) at Patna, where two machines are already operational. Three more machines are to be set up at PMCH, which has only one now. Two machines each will be installed at AIIMS-Patna and IGIMS-Patna. These two institutes already have two RT-PCR machines,” Choubey said.
Giving further details, he said Shri Krishna Medical College at Muzaffarpur, Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital at Gaya, JLNMCH at Bhagalpur and Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Medical College and Hospital at Madhepura will get two machines each whereas five RT-PCR machines have been proposed for Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.
Presently, there are 21 RT-PCR machines across the state. After the setting up of 17 more machines, their number will go up to 38. Around 65% of the Covid-19 tests are being done through rapid antigen testing in Bihar.
The minister said with the increase in testing capacity, people would get better facilities.
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