THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Covid-19 prevention and control activities will get a fillip at the national level as the indigenously developed RNA extraction kit received the nod from the authorities concerned for industrial production.Chitra Magna, an innovative RNA extraction kit developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) here, received the approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The innovative technology is for isolating RNA (ribonucleic acid) from swab samples of persons for Covid-19 tests. The product will be formally launched on Thursday. Earlier, the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, under which the SCTIMST comes, had stated that Chitra Magna could be used to extract high-purity RNA from patient samples not only for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) testing but also for the RT-PCR test.
The first step of isolating high-quality and high-concentration RNA without degradation is critical to the outcome of the PCR or LAMP test in which RNA is converted into DNA. Barring a few Indian manufacturers, the majority of RNA isolation kits are imported. The product developed by a team headed by Anoop Thekkuveettil has been transferred to the Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, Ernakulam, for mass-scale production.
Patient care services restored
T’Puram: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology has restored patient care services in the hospital wing. Patients and visitors should produce ‘safe status’ on the Arogya Setu app before entering the hospital. The institute has also introduced chargeable telephonic consultations with different departments. The phone numbers are: 0471 2524 615 (neurology, neurosurgery and interventional radiology) and 0471 2524535 (cardiology, cardiac surgery).