With the aim of scaling up coronavirus testing facilities, the Union Health ministry has designated14 health establishments such asAIIMS, New Delhi,PGIMER in Chandigarh and JIPMER, Puducherry to review proposals for approving any new laboratory for COVID-19 testing in different states.
Amid a spurt in cases of coronavirus infections in India, the ICMR has taken into account the need to expand COVID-19 testing facilities in all parts of the country and has initiated a proactive search of potential laboratories which could be enabled for COVID-19 testing, a senior official said.
"Theseinstitutions are expected to serve asmentorsand facilitate theestablishment of COVID-19 testing facilitiesin respective states.
"They will reviewthe proposals from privateand government medicalcolleges as well as other central government institutions belongingto Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)andDefence Research and Development Organisation among others," a senior scientist at the ICMR said,