New Delhi (NVI): The CSIR Institute Microbial Technology (IMTECH) will take up testing of COVID-19 samples as the virus poses several challenges to the healthcare sector with the limited number of test kits.
In the initial phase, IMTECH plans to operationalise capability to test 50 to 100 samples a day, which can be subsequently ramped up.
IMTECH becomes the first CSIR laboratory in Chandigarh region and the third in the country after the Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, to take up Covid testing.
The institution has increased its capabilities to carry out clinical testing for COVID-19 and it has the necessary expertise in molecular microbiology.
Meanwhile, with a limited number of test kits available, India has been testing only those patients having a travel history and is ranked lowest in terms of testing per million people.
Apart from testing of clinical samples, CSIR-IMTECH is also supporting healthcare professionals by providing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to prevent them from contracting any infection.
