This story is from May 12, 2020

DBT-IBSD teams up with Meghalaya government for Covid-19 testing

The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (DBT-IBSD), a national institute of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, with headquarters at Imphal and a centre at Upper Shillong, has been working with the Meghalaya Health Department to set up a Covid-19 diagnostics facility at Tura, which is more than 300 kms from North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, which is presently the lone Covid-19 testing centre of Meghalaya.
DBT-IBSD teams up with Meghalaya government for Covid-19 testing
Image used for representational purpose only
SHILLONG: The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (DBT-IBSD), a national institute of Department of Biotechnology, ministry of science and technology, Government of India, with headquarters at Imphal and a centre at Upper Shillong, has been working with the Meghalaya health department to set up a Covid-19 diagnostics facility at Tura, which is more than 300 kms from North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, which is presently the lone Covid-19 testing centre of Meghalaya.

“The IBSD has provided an RT-PCR machine, a refrigerated centrifuge and two deep freezers along with technical support and orientation for the equipment, which has been handed over to the State team of doctors and laboratory technicians, who have also been trained on this equipment for Covid-19 testing at the Microbiology Department of NEIGHRIHMS,” informed Dr Albert Chiang, scientist, DBT-IBSDIBSD.
“Professor Pulok K Mukherjee, Director IBSD has appreciated the Meghalaya health department for working tirelessly in their battle against Covid-19 and also assured full support from IBSD to the State for any other scientific endeavour in this current Covid-19 crisis,” he added.
The Tura facility, which is being set up at Government Civil Hospital has come about by online and virtual coordination between the teams of Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Government of Meghalaya and the Director IBSD even as Dr Chiang is coordinating with the Meghalaya health department in this regard.
“While most of the equipment has been delivered and installed at Tura over the last two weeks, and the facility would be ready to start testing in a few days, DBT-IBSD shared this essential equipment in the earlier interim period, to rapidly fill up the gap brought about by the global supply chain crisis in this equipment and consumables, brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the present lockdown,” Dr Chirang pointed out.
He also informed that in similar efforts, DBT-IBSD has provided both equipment and consumables support to several Covid-19 testing facilities across the northeastern region, such as JNIMS, Government of Manipur, RIMS, Imphal, Government of India, NEIGHRIHMS, Shillong, Government of India, Zoram Medical College, Government of Mizoram and Pasteur Institute, Government of Meghalaya.
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