Tirupati: Coronavirus testing lab to come up at Ruia Hospital soon

Tirupati: As the Covid-19 suspected cases have been increasing each day, to reduce the heavy load on VRD lab in SVIMS, another Covid testing lab is all set to start functioning at Ruia hospital soon.

Presently, the number of samples awaiting results at SVIMS lab has reached 1371 by Thursday from Chittoor district alone. This is in addition to the samples from Kurnool and Nellore districts.

On the other hand, district officials have taken steps to collect 300 samples per day through door-to-door survey focusing on primary and secondary contacts in Red zone areas. It will increase the burden on VRD lab further.

In Ruia hospital lab, RT-PCR (Real-time Polymerase chain reaction) machine will come into use in a couple of days through which 150-200 Covid tests can be done per day. At SVIMS VRD lab also, RT-PCR machines are only used. As part of increasing the test centres in the state, Ruia hospital has been given permission to conduct the tests which will be done at its multi-disciplinary research unit (MDRU).

Truenat machines, which are primarily intended, for conducting TB screening tests, are ready to be pressed into use for Covid-19 screening tests.

In all, 17 Truenat machines are being set up in the district and each machine can test about 20 samples per day. Of these, five machines will be set up at Ruia hospital in addition to RT-PCR machine.

Chittoor hospital will also have five Truenat machines while SV Veterinary University is equipped with 3 and Madanapalli and Palamaner two each.

All the staff members concerned were trained on collecting swabs at these centres.

District Collector Dr N Bharat Gupta visited the facility on Thursday to see the ongoing works at Covid lab in Ruia hospital.

He also visited the Covid testing lab at SV Veterinary University where it's in charge Prof Rani Prameela has suggested that more Truenat machines can be set up.

The Collector also visited IISER lab and Model Rural Health Research Unit at Chandragiri to examine the feasibility of setting up Covid labs.

The Collector made it clear that the idea was to get the Covid result within one hour from collecting the swab which is possible through Truenat machines.