Arunachal Pradesh gets its first COVID-19 testing lab

Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister Alo Libang on Thursday inaugurated the state's first laboratory at a hospital near hear for conducting COVID-19 tests, making it the third state after Assam and Mizoram in the north-east region to have such facility.

The laboratory was inaugurated at the state-run Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIMHS) in Naharlagun, which was designated as a dedicated centre for treating coronavirus-infected patients.

The new facility can conduct 100-120 COVID-19 tests per day, and now there is no need to send samples to Guwahati or Dibrugarh, the minister said.

A similar laboratory will also be set up at Pasighat General Hospital, he said, adding that the government is building infrastructure to set up a temporary healthcare centre at Midpu, about 20 km from here, for treating COVID-19 patients.

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Libang said the work for strengthening infrastructure at 10 hospitals across the state has been going on.

The state government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu are making all the initiatives to improve the infrastructure of the health sector and leaving no stone unturned to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, he said.

TRIMHS director Dr Moji Jini said the number of tests in the laboratory can be increased to 200 per day by engaging more technicians.

Health secretary P Pratibhan applauded the authorities of the institute to set up the laboratory in record time.

The health minister paid tribute to former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on his death anniversary on Thursday and said the TRIMHS, the only medical college and hospital of the state, was the outcome of his personal initiative.

Dorjee Khandu died in a helicopter crash near Luguthang in Tawang district in 2011.