COVID-19: Mizoram to soon get 4 RT-PCR machines

Mizoram will soon get four more RT-PCR machines to boost its testing capacity amid the mass return of stranded people and detection of new COVID-19 cases in the state, Health Minister R Lalthangliana said.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Lalthangliana said the procurement process for the four RT-PCR machines, including one from a private donor, is currently underway.

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He said the government would purchase an RT-PCR machine and would get one each from the Centre and Department of Science and Technology of Manipur.

The state government has already installed two Truenat machines in south Mizoram's Lunglei town and another two have been procured, he said.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique is highly sensitive and specific and can deliver a reliable diagnosis as fast as three hours, though usually, laboratories take on average between six to eight hours.

The health minister said that the state government is making all efforts to deal with the present situation efficiently and prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

He said 1,012 samples have been tested so far in the state.

Health Secretary H Lalengmawia said the state government was taking necessary steps to strengthen the health infrastructure.

Mizoram at present has 36 ventilators in ICUs and set up COVID-19 Care Centres (CCC) as well as Dedicated COVID-19 Health Centre (DCHC) in all the 11 districts, he said.

Stating that the health department is well prepared to treat COVID-19 cases, Lalengmawia said the state has enough infrastructures, equipment and manpower to treat over 700 patients at present.