Maharashtra, which has been testing around 100 samples daily for coronavirus infection, will now be able to scale up this number up to 600, thanks to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approving testing at three more facilities, a minister said on March 22.
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Two of these testing facilities are in Pune and one in Mumbai, the medical education minister, said. In an official statement, the medical education minister said, We were testing around 100 samples on daily a basis. The Indian Council of Medical Research has now permitted Covid-19 detection tests at Haffkine Institute in Mumbai as well as at Sassoon General Hospital and B J Medical College in Pune. "This will enhance the testing capacity in the state to 600 from current capacity of 100.
The Delhi-based ICMR, which comes under the Union health ministry, is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. The state government has also demanded setting up testing laboratories at private hospitals as well, he said. We have sought permission for (Covid-19) testing at seven private hospitals and labs. These are P D Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Tata Memorial Centres Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, Thyro-care Laboratories, SRL Diagnostics (all in Mumbai) and Reliance Laboratories, Navi Mumbai, he said.
"Some technical clearances are awaited. Once they are received, these labs will also be available for carrying out Covid-19 confirmation tests, said the minister.
State-run medical colleges and hospitals at Dhule, Aurangabad, Solapur, Miraj and Latur will also have similar testing facilities, the medical education minister said. These newly added labs will have a daily capacity to carry out 100 tests, while Nagpur-based centres capacity will be increased to 200 samples, the medical education minister said. Once all these laboratories are functional, Maharashtra will be able to carry out as many as 2200 tests, which will be helpful in case of a spike in the number of cases, he said. At 72, Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of positive coronavirus cases among states in the country so far.
