DRDO approves Tezpur's Defence Research Laboratory as Covid-19 testing centre

Guwahati: In a massive boost to Assam's Covid-19 testing infrastructure, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has approved the Defence Research laboratory in Tezpur as a testing facility.

"In yet another development that strengthens our ongoing fight against a pandemic, I am pleased to share that DRDO India has approved Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur as an authorized testing centre for Covid-19. I thank Defence Minister India for this", Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma moments earlier said on Twitter.

It is pertinent to mention here that on Friday last, Sarma had inaugurated a 100-bedded Maternity and Child Health Wing of Kanaklata Civil Hospital in Tezpur which will be utilized as a Covid-19 facility for the time-being owing to the rise in the number of cases (as on Tuesday, the tally stood at 1,485, with 1,194 active cases).

Assam's New Gameplan against the Covid-19:

It is pertinent to mention here that with life supposed to limp back to normal after the centre's directive to "unlock" the activities in phases, Assam seeks to counter the coronavirus by boosting its testing infrastructure so that quarantined returnees can be discharged at the earliest. To reduce the burden on the state exchequer, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the focus will be on conducting a massive number of tests instead and the Government is eyeing to operationalize a total of 11 testing centres in the coming 1 week. With the boost in testing capacities, test results of the quarantined persons will be released within 72 hours, said Sarma. At the same time, the Finance Minister has asserted that the economy of the state must keep chugging ahead, despite the threat of the coronavirus. Informing about the state's tax and GST collection, he said, "Against a collection of Rs 147 crore in April, Assam has collected Rs 360 crore in May."

Compartmentalizing Covid-19 Testing Centres for Specific Tasks:

Yesterday, Sarma hinted that the labs in the state will be assigned to test particular criteria of tests. The latest laboratory in the state that was set up jointly by the Institute of Advanced Study in Science & Technology (IASST) and the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Guwahati city will be used to exclusively check samples of persons who are being kept in the quarantine facility and also the inbound flight passengers at the quarantine facilities. This latest lab, inaugurated on Monday, will test close to 1,000 samples. 

"Daily we will be able to conduct 1,000 tests here. As soon as we can reach that number, we will be able to release quarantined persons who are coming to Sarusajai via rail and road landing at the airports. After a week, we will be It used to take long previously as the results took time as the testing centres were completely occupied. If we receive the samples today, we can process them in a day and release the results on the next day itself.", Sarma said at the inauguration.

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