The K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, Tiruchi, has crossed a significant milestone by carrying out over one lakh RT-PCR tests for COVID-19.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) granted permission to the college to carry out COVID-19 testing in the third week of March. The PCR machine procured mainly to analyse HINI influenza in 2010 came in handy for the college to seek permission to conduct the tests. It began its first test on March 24.
With just a machine and a few technicians, the Department of Microbiology could do just 100 tests a day in the initial stage. RNA extraction was done manually. As patients with symptoms of COVID-19 went up rapidly, Collector S. Sivarasu stepped in to make special arrangements to procure one more RTPCR machine and an automated RNA extractor at a cost of ₹24 lakh.
Similarly, six persons, including two research assistants, were recruited under the National Health Mission to the department. In addition to them, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital also deputed eight technicians for collecting samples and processing. With an addition of one more machine and RNA extractor, the college scaled up its testing to 1,000 in April and May.
However, as the number of samples kept increasing, the college increased its RTPCR machines to four with two machines of Bharathidasan University. It enabled the medical college to scale up testing.
“Our team is working round the clock and we have crossed one lakh tests within a short span of time. It is a remarkable milestone,” said College Dean Dr. K. Vanitha.
As on Monday, 1,00,876 samples had been tested. Of them, 96,118 samples turned out to be negative and 4,758 were positive. Of the total samples, 5,612 were from Ariyalur, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukottai and Thanjavur districts. Remaining 95,264 samples were from Tiruchi district.
K. Lakshmi, Head-In-Charge, Department of Microbiology, said the laboratory could handle 1,600 to 1,800 samples a day. The team had about 60 members including doctors, medical officers and technicians. The men and machines were being utilised at an optimum level considering the demanding situation. Each and every member had contributed for achieving the milestone.
Besides running the samples, the team members were engaged in pre-analytical and post-analytical sample works. “Pre-analytical sampling is an important and laborious work as we have to check and cross the samples of patients collected from different sources. We check the samples at least thrice before testing the samples,” Dr. Lakshmi added.
She said a team of persons had been assigned to upload the results and analysis of samples on the ICMR portal on a daily basis. The results of all samples had been uploaded on the portal up to Monday. The patients could download the results too.