MUMBAI: Virologist Meenal Dhakale Bhosale of Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solution has developed a cost-effective Indian made COVID-19 testing kit. The kit will soon be available for commercial use.
Interestingly, Meenal who became a mother recently, invented the kit with help from her colleagues at the lab before the delivery. The kit has been submitted to the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The effort of Meenal was praised by industrialist Anand Mahindra and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. Mahindra in his tweet said: “Ms Bhosale, you delivered not the kit and your baby but you also delivered the ray of hope to this country. We stand and salute you.”
Gautam Wankhede, director of Mylab Discovery Solution said that they were fighting against the time. “Coronavirus is spreading fast and we had little time to invent the kit. Ms Meenal played a major role in developing this cost-effective COVID-19 testing kits. She boosted everyone's moral. In a week period, we can make more than one lakh kits. If the government supports the number can be even more,” said Wankhede.
The cost of Mylab Discovery Solution COVID-19 test kit is Rs 1200 against the foreign-made kits Rs 4500. “The result of coronavirus testing will be available within two to three hours while in foreign-made testing gives the result in four to five hours. Our kit is not only cost-effective but also could be made in a shorter time,” said Wankhede.
The kits will also be sent to Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Goa and Delhi for further testing and approval.