In the face of emerging COVID-19 cases in the country, leading diagnostic chains such as SRL Diagnostics, Dr. Lal PathLabs, and Thyrocare Technologies are getting better testing infrastructure and manpower to meet multiple call and reporting response times.
In an interaction with PTI, Anand K, CEO of Gurugram-based SRL Diagnostics, noted that the company is tirelessly deploying more workforce, more professional machinery and technology to reduce delays and inform response times. “We already have 15 RT-PCR laboratories operational in the country and will release five more, in Calicut, Jaipur, Surat, Lucknow and Himachal Pradesh, as well as more trips to pattern collection sites across the country,” he said. However, building more diagnostic infrastructure takes a long time, Anand added.
“We want to consciously adapt all technologies, professional staff and processes to the quality of the tests. We have already purchased new equipment to increase the capacity of our existing laboratories and have hired and trained additional technical staff. These COVID fighters, as well as our partners on the ground, are responding on a war footing and remain committed to meeting the diagnostic desires of populations,” he said.
Anand said the massive backlog of COVID cases has especially amplified the workload at diagnostic facilities. “It should be noted that while the immediate accumulation of cases is unprecedented, it is difficult to predict where, when, and how large the increase will be. “In response, the SRL is operating 24 hours a day to meet the growing need for testing,” he said, adding that diagnostic services were responding to a threefold increase in testing compared to February.
SRL provides the country with more than 9,000 collection copies as well as several accredited laboratories. Lal PathLabs said it is committed to serving communities across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Currently, the call for RT PCR tests has increased exponentially, as have our tests. We have RT PCR labs at thirteen sites and are in the process of adding five new ones. Subject to timely approvals, availability of labor, machinery, etc. , we estimate that those new sites will begin testing in about 3-4 more weeks,” the company said in a statement.
In addition, the company continues to leverage its existing infrastructure to better manage its operations amid growing demand for COVID-19 testing, he added. The diagnostics chain is also looking to develop additional capacity at existing sites, the Gurgaon-based company said. Navi Mumbai-based Thyrocare Technologies’ President and CEO A Velumani said that with the accumulation of COVID-19 cases, staff have to return to their hometowns, affecting the home collection business.
“The migrant staff were mostly swab technicians, and 50 per cent of them have returned in the last ten days, either from Delhi or Mumbai, so at-home collection has stopped as cases rise alarmingly. New recruits aren’t convinced because of the threat involved, even if we’re willing to pay more. Stagnation,” he said. However, the company plans to expand its agreements in the coming months.
“We ramped up 5,000 more tests in March and another 5,000 in April and we will be able to ramp up at this rate for another six months,” Velauni said. Over the past month, the COVID-19 outbreak in India has increased. Exploded. A record single-day accumulation of 3,49,691 coronavirus cases has lifted the number of infections in India to 1,69,60,172, while active cases have crossed the 26 lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death toll rose to 1,92,311, with a record 2,767 more deaths in one day, according to data updated at 08:00. Registering a steady increase, active cases rose to 26,82,751, accounting for 15. 82 percent of total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate fell further to 83. 05 percent.
India’s COVID-19 count had surpassed the 20 lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 last year, 40 lakh on September 5, and 50 lakh on September 16. It surpassed 60 lakh on September 28 and 70 lakh on October 11. , crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December. India passed the grim milestone of a total of 1. 50 crore COVID-19 cases on April 19 this year.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for a fair investigation into the alleged attack on AAP MP Swati Maliwal, while affirming the need for justice. Maliwal claims she was attacked by Kejriwal’s personal assistant, Bibhav Kumar, at a meeting at the prime minister’s residence. . Kumar was arrested and has been in police custody for five days.