UT Adviser inaugurates RTPCR LAB at GMSH-16

Chandigarh, February 24, 2022: UT Adviser Dharam Pal inaugurates RTPCR Lab at GMSH-16 today. Dharam Pal stated that this Lab will further strengthen the existing 24×7 sampling and testing for COVID management in the city. He further stated that since the COVID cases have declined, now the Health Department need to focus on early completion of its pending major projects and also on better medical care to the patients.

The capacity of this lab is 300 samples every day and it can also be used for testing Swine-Flu besides COVID testing. This RTPCR Lab will become fully operational once the preliminary formalities like Competency Panel Testing etc get approved by ICMR within few days. This Lab has been set-up from the funds provided by the Central Government under ECRP-II (Emergency COVID Response Package) for the management of Covid-19. The expenditure on setting up of this lab is about Rs. 70 Lakhs which includes the infrastructure, equipments, kits and other consumables.

The Health Department U.T. Chandigarh is actively involved in management of Covid-19 pandemic since March, 2020 and has been carrying extensive testing for COVID for early detection and prevention of the spread of this disease.

During this occasion, Yashpal Garg, Secretary Health, Rakesh Popli, Additional Secretary Health, Dr. Suman Singh, Director Health & Family Welfare, Dr. V.K. Nagpal, Medical Superintendent, GMSH-16 and other senior officials of the Health Department were present.