Amritsar, Patiala, Chandigarh labs get nod for preliminary testing of coronavirus

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in the country for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, has authorised labs at Amritsar, Patiala and Chandigarh to conduct the preliminary E-Gene test for coronavirus patients. The approval for the labs, technically called, Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL), at government medical colleges in Amritsar, Patiala and at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, came through on Wednesday.

If this preliminary report tests positive, the health department will send the blood and throat swab samples of the patient to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for confirmation.

The state health department has said that samples of suspected patients from Mohali, Rupnagar, SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur will be tested at the PGIMER, Chandigarh. Samples from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Tarn Taran and Moga will be tested at the lab in Amritsar. Samples from Patiala, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Mansa, Sangrur, Muktsar, Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib will be tested in Patiala.

The health department has added that samples must be transported as per guidelines with the civil surgeon signing and stamping the referral forms. Case history of patients must be discussed with laboratory in-charges.

“The ICMR has approved labs at Amritsar, Patiala and Chandigarh for testing of coronavirus. To date, Amritsar lab has tested six samples and all were negative. We will send the ‘positive’ report to the NIV Pune for confirmation,” said Dr Raman Sharma, medical superintendent, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH).

He added, “NIV Pune has also sent the chemicals required for confirmatory test to Amritsar and Chandigarh labs. The ICMR authority letter for confirmatory test, too, is expected to reach us in four days. Then, we will not need to send samples to NIV, Pune.”

Tourists from 7 countries arriving at

Amritsar to be in quarantine for 14 countries

Every visitor reaching the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport from seven coronavirus-hit countries, will be quarantined for 14 days in the GNDH. Visitors with history of travel to China, Iran, Italy, Korea, France, Germany and Spain, will be quarantined, even if they are not found suffering from the symptoms. Other visitors will be isolated if found with the symptoms. The health department is making all arrangements, including food, for keeping the visitors in isolation.

Avoid large gatherings:

State’s advisory to institutions

On Thursday, Punjab government released an advisory for schools, colleges, universities, public transport, stadiums, shopping malls, and workplaces in the wake of the coronavirus. The health department has directed the district administrations, school and universities to avoid conducting large gatherings. Awareness programmes are also to be emphasised, the advisory adds.

Mock drill held

The health department also organised a mock drill in Amritsar in which a team of doctors, led by nodal officer for the disease, Dr Madan Mohan, told people the correct way to respond if they found themselves suffering from any symptom of the disease. The department also simulated the situation of admitting suspected patients to the isolation ward in hospitals.

Woman tests negative in Jalandhar;

another sample sent in Gurdaspur

Jalandhar/Gurdaspur A woman, kept in isolation ward of Nawanshahr civil hospital, for the past one month has tested negative for coronavirus. The woman, who district epidemiologist Dr Shyam Veda, refused to name had returned from Singapore, before being admitted to the hospital.

In Gurdaspur, the district health department sent the sample of a woman suspected coronavirus patient, who came back home at Dhianpur in Gurdaspur district from Wuhan (China) on February 25. The report is expected to come on Friday.

Another suspected patient, also from Dhianpur, and has come back home from Dubai, is also under watch. From Gurdaspur, 276 samples have been taken to date.

Caption please

Health department employees and police personnel conducting a mock drill to create awareness on the correct response to the coronavirus in Amritsar on Thursday. Sameer Sehgal/HT

Quote (if needed)

The ICMR authority letter for confirmatory test, too, is expected to reach us in four days. Then, we will not need to send samples to NIV, Pune.

Dr Raman Sharma, medical supdt,

Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar