Goa govt to set up viral testing lab

 In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the Goa government is in the process of setting up its own viral testing lab, for prompt testing of samples drawn from suspect patients, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Friday.

"I have moved a file to the Secretary Health to set up our own viral testing lab at the GMC on top priority," Rane tweeted on Friday.

The state Directorate of Health Services currently sends samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing, a process which takes around three days owing to the facility's distance from the coastal state. The lab once set up in Goa, would ensure prompt testing and disposal of samples.

Rane also said that additional steps had been taken to supervise isolation wards set up to quarantine suspect coronavirus cases.

"We have decided to have 24x7 consultants along with junior residents and interns to assist teams wherever we have isolated wards specifically at the Goa Medical College. We shall also be increasing the number of beds in the isolation ward," Rane said.

While no positive cases of coronavirus have been detected in Goa, currently three persons are admitted in the isolation wards set up by the health department in the state. IANS