The Mizoram government will soon get four more RT-PCR machines to boost its testing capacity amid mass return of stranded people and detection of new COVID-19 cases in the state.
This was informed by state health minister Dr R Lalthangliana on Tuesday.
“Procurement of four RT-PCR machines, including one from private donor, is currently underway,” the minister told reporters in Aizawl.
He said the government would purchase a RT-PCR machine and expected to get one each from the Centre and department of science and technology, Manipur within a short period from now.
Apart from these, the State Government has also installed two RT-PCR-like machines – Truenat in south Mizoram Lunglei town and another two similar machines have already been procured, he said.
The health minister said the State Government is making massive efforts to deal with the present situation efficiently and prevent further spread of novel coronavirus in the State.
He said as many as 1012 samples have been tested so far and majority of them were tested at the virology laboratory in the state’s lone medical college – Zoram Medical College (ZMC) since April 7.
He added that the virology lab at the ZMC was reliable.
State health department secretary H Lalengmawia said the State Government was stepping up measure to increase health infrastructures.
He said the State Government at present has 36 ventilators in ICUs and set up COVID-19 care Centre (CCC) as well as Dedicated Covid-19 Health Centre (DCHC) in all the 11 districts.
Citing that the Health department is well prepared to treat COVID-19 patients, Lalengmawia said the government has enough infrastructures, equipment and manpower to treat over 700 patients at present.