<p>Yenepoya Medical College Hospital in Deralakatte has received a nod from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct tests of the samples of COVID-19. As many as 82 samples were taken up for tests in the laboratory on the first day. Yenepoya Hospital is the first private hospital in Dakshina Kannada district to get ICMR approval for COVID-19 RT-PCR.</p>.<p>With this, the district will now have two centres for COVID-19 testing - Wenlock hospital and now Yenepoya Medical College Hospital. Approval of a new testing facility will help in getting quick reports of COVID-19 tests, as it will cater to samples collected from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. This will also ease the pressure on government testing centre at Wenlock hospital.</p>.<p>After a detailed assessment by a team from NABL, the ICMR gave its approval to start the testing. The Yenepoya COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratory is well equipped with state-of-the-art real-time PCR machine, bio-safety cabinets, a cold centrifuge etc. It has 12 medical microbiologists and technicians who are trained in molecular diagnostics. The laboratory is currently running the tests in two shifts and plans to make it functional round the clock if the sample loads increase further. About 240 samples can be tested at the new facility per day.</p>
<p>Yenepoya Medical College Hospital in Deralakatte has received a nod from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct tests of the samples of COVID-19. As many as 82 samples were taken up for tests in the laboratory on the first day. Yenepoya Hospital is the first private hospital in Dakshina Kannada district to get ICMR approval for COVID-19 RT-PCR.</p>.<p>With this, the district will now have two centres for COVID-19 testing - Wenlock hospital and now Yenepoya Medical College Hospital. Approval of a new testing facility will help in getting quick reports of COVID-19 tests, as it will cater to samples collected from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. This will also ease the pressure on government testing centre at Wenlock hospital.</p>.<p>After a detailed assessment by a team from NABL, the ICMR gave its approval to start the testing. The Yenepoya COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratory is well equipped with state-of-the-art real-time PCR machine, bio-safety cabinets, a cold centrifuge etc. It has 12 medical microbiologists and technicians who are trained in molecular diagnostics. The laboratory is currently running the tests in two shifts and plans to make it functional round the clock if the sample loads increase further. About 240 samples can be tested at the new facility per day.</p>
