Low cost, quick result coronavirus test kits unveiled by Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone will also produce ventilators costing Rs 1.66 lakh each. The central government has already placed orders for 3,500 life saving machines

The Andhra Pradesh government has unveiled a COVID-19 test kit costing Rs 1,200, which can reveal the results within 55 minutes.

These cartridges are PCR – Polymerase Chain Reaction based, into which nasal or throat swab samples are taken and assessment is carried utilizing the existing Tuberculosis test machines.

The Visakhapatnam based Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) is manufacturing 2,000 such testing cartridges per day, as of now.

Rajat Bhargava, special chief secretary, industries and commerce department, told DH, “These are ICMR approved kits which can reveal the results within 55 minutes against the three days taken for now. It costs only Rs 1,200 per person, while the present expense is Rs 4,500. About 20 tests could be performed using one machine, with one disposable cartridge per person.”

Once AMTZ, a medical equipment manufacturing and testing facility, gets the laser welding apparatus, production could be scaled up to 25,000 units per day, state’s industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said after the apparatus was released by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy on Wednesday.

Centre orders 35,000 ventilators from AMTZ, costing Rs 1.6 lakh each

Beginning April 15, AMTZ will also produce ventilators, first 3,000 units a month and later about 6,000 units. Each of these life support machines cost Rs 1.66 lakh and the central government has already placed orders for 3,500 ventilators.

“AMTZ would cater to our state’s demand and also supply to other states meeting the national requirement,” Mekapati said. Hindustan Lifecare (HLL) will assist AMTZ in the assembly of the ventilators.

Andhra Pradesh government is planning to scale up the cartridges supply so that 4,000 tests could be conducted a day in the state.

DNA, RNA, PCR tests can also be performed using these cartridges, the minister said adding that by May, 7.5 lakh kits would be manufactured and delivered to other states as well.

Mekapati said that AMTZ took only 35 days to manufacture the cartridges from the day instructions were given by the chief minister.

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday morning, the COVID-19 positive cases in the state stood at 329, with Kurnool district alone reporting 74 cases.