Harsh Vardhan launches India's first mobile laboratory for coronavirus testing
NEW DELHI: Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched the country's first mobile laboratory for coronavirus testing that can be deployed in rural areas to help promote last-mile testing access.
The mobile laboratory, also called I-Lab or Infectious Diseases Diagnostics Lab, can run 50 RT-PCR and about 200 ELISA tests in a day.
A double set of machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 tests per day in an eight-hour shift, Vardhan said.
"Launched India's first mobile lab for #COVID19 testing to promote last-mile testing access in rural & inaccessible areas of India. Present with me on the occasion was Smt @RenuSwarup Ji, Secretary, @DBTIndia. @IndiaDST.
"It can run 50 RT-PCR reactions and about 200 ELISA in a day. Double set of Machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 per day in 8 hours shift. @DBTIndia @IndiaDST @AP_MedTechZone @PMOIndia," he said in a series of tweets.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, along with the Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ), has initiated the DBT-AMTZ COMManD (COVID-19 Medtech Manufacturing Development) consortia to address the shortage of critical healthcare technologies in the country and move progressively towards a stage of self-sufficiency.
AMTZ is Asia's first medical equipment manufacturing ecosystem, uniquely dedicated to medical technology and supported by various ministries.
The mobile testing laboratory is an outcome of this initiative.
"This mobile testing facility will be deployed through the DBT testing hubs to remote regions of the country for coronavirus testing," the minister said.
There are over 20 such hubs in the country now with 100 testing laboratories and these facilities have tested more than 2,60,000 samples for COVID-19 so far.
Vardhan said there are 953 testing laboratories in all corners of the country at present.
"In the near future, with all these collective and cooperative efforts, India will achieve self-sufficiency in healthcare technologies, leading towards 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat'," he said.
DBT Secretary Renu Swarup said through the concerted efforts of Indian scientists, the country has achieved a capacity of producing over five lakh COVID-19 testing kits per day, exceeding the target of one lakh test kits by May 31.
She also noted that I-Lab has been created in a record eight days by the AMTZ team with the support of the DBT.