Villupuram government lab completes 2 lakh tests for COVID-19
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The Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory began with testing simply three samples a day, and ramped it as much as 3,500 samples per day in August, officers mentioned
The Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) on the Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital (GVMCH) has crossed a big milestone by processing over 2 lakh RT-PCR tests for COVID-19.
The VRDL, which is a decade previous, was one of many earliest labs amongst these in government medical schools within the State to get approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Initially began as a pattern assortment centre, the lab was recognised as a testing centre by National Institute of Virology (NIV).
(*2*), mentioned Kundhavi Devi, Dean of GVMCH.
Initially, RNA extraction was finished manually with only a machine and some technicians and scientists. The administration then stepped in to make particular preparations, and three RNA extractors have been added to the lab to scale up testing over the following two months.
Though the pandemic was a turning level for the Department, the workforce led by P. Balapriya, Head of the Department and R. Deepa, Associate Professor rose as much as the problem and responded positively by enhancing the testing capability, processing the samples and saying the ends in the shortest potential time, Dr. Kundhavi Devi mentioned.
According to P. Shankar, Principal Investigator of VRDL, positivity price within the district is 2.4 % whereas the restoration price stands at 89 %. The district has not reported any demise for the final 37 days and the demise price stands at 0.7 %.
“Of the 2.25 lakh samples processed so far, a majority of them are from Villupuram district. Initially, we received samples from four districts — Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore. With the State government sanctioning new labs for Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai and Kallakurichi, the burden on VRDL has reduced. We have now been processing samples taken only in Villupuram district,” Mr. Shankar added.
At current, the lab has been processing 1,500-2,000 samples a day as in opposition to its capability of three,000-3,500 per day. The lab can also be outfitted with TrueNat/CBNAAT based mostly testing to supply ends in 45 minutes.
The building of a brand new constructing for VRDL is sort of full and can be inaugurated quickly, sources mentioned.
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