More than 5 lakh tests are being conducted in the country daily and efforts are underway to increase this capacity to 10 lakh in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities via video conferencing.

These three high-throughput testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida; ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai; and ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, and will be able to test over 10,000 samples in a day.

These labs will also reduce turn-around-time and exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials. The labs are enabled to test diseases other than COVID as well, and post the pandemic, will be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, Neisseria and Dengue

The Prime Minister underlined that due to timely decisions taken by the government, India is better placed vis-a-vis other countries in terms of deaths due to COVID.

The recovery rate is also higher than other countries and is improving on a daily basis. The total number of people who have recovered from the virus is about to reach 10 lakh.

The Prime Minister said that it was imperative for the country to develop corona specific health infrastructure at a fast pace. He noted that the Centre had announced a package of Rs 15,000 crore at the beginning of this battle. The country now has more than 11,000 COVID facilities and more than 11 lakh isolation beds.

While the country had only one COVID testing centre in January, there are almost 1300 such labs now. He said that at present, more than 5 lakh tests are being conducted in the country daily, and efforts are underway to increase this capacity to 10 lakh in the coming weeks.

He noted that the country has become the second largest PPE kit manufacturer.

“The country has progressed from not having even a single PPE kit manufacturer as recently as six months ago, to having more than 1200 manufacturers now, who are producing more than 5 lakh such kits daily,” the Prime Minister said, highlighting that from being dependent on imports, now more than 3 lakh N-95 masks are being produced in the country daily, annual production capacity of ventilators has become 3 lakh and there has also been a significant increase in the production of medical oxygen cylinders.

“This has not only helped save lives but has also converted India from an importer to an exporter,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Talking about efforts to contain the spread in rural areas, the Prime Minister talked about the need to develop new health infrastructure as well as boost the already existing health infrastructure facilities in the villages.

The Prime Minister said that apart from developing the physical infrastructure, the country has also managed to swiftly ramp up human resources including paramedics, ASHA workers, Anganwadis who have played a significant part in controlling the spread of the pandemic.

He also spoke about the need to work on continuously attaching new and retired health professionals with the health system in order to prevent fatigue from setting in our corona warriors.

He forewarned people to be cautious during the celebrations of the festivals to come, in order to keep the virus contained. He underlined that the benefits of PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna should reach the poor timely. He added that till the time a vaccine is not developed, do gaz doori, wearing masks and hand sanitization are the tools at the disposal of the people to keep them safe.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said labs to test for COVID are now available all across the country. He also spoke about the Union Home Minister working along with Delhi Chief Minister in order to control the spread of the virus in the national capital.