Equipment arrive for Covid-19 lab at STNM hospital

PANKAJDHUNGEL
GANGTOK: The much awaited viral testing lab at the STNM hospital here is set to be operational within the next 10 days as the final consignment of equipment and construction materials reached the State on Thursday.
The consignment weighing 2,400 kg was airlifted till Bagdogra airport by a special Indian Air Force cargo aircraft from New Delhi. The consignment was brought from the Noida-based National Institute of Pathology by Sikkim House, New Delhi ResidentCommissioner Ashwini Kumar Chand in the wee hours of Thursday and flown to Bagdogra later during the day.
Along with the consignment, technicians are also reaching Sikkim for setting up the lab. They had earlier worked in a similar project in Gujarat and would complete the remaining works within a week’s time.
State Health department secretary-cum-director general Dr.PempaTshering Bhutia told SIKKIM EXPRESS that the consignment includes all that is necessary for setting up the Covid-19 viral testing lab with safety cabinets, materials for laminated or epoxy flooring and walling which will be carried out by the technicians along with the workers carrying out civil construction.
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has sanctioned the funds for the construction of viral testing lab, which was long pending in the State since 2015, it was informed.
The civil work for the lab is currently on a war footing and it is almost complete with epoxy flooring and walling to be completed in the next two days, said Dr. Bhutia adding that the equipment coming will be devoted for virology, with RT-PCR testing, bio-safety cabinet and more.
Commenting on the development, STNM hospital medical superintendent Dr.Passang Bhutia mentioned that the lab will be functional from May 25. “The consignment for the lab includes the coveted RT-PCR machine, bio safety cabinet, laminar flow which is an air current system as the lab will require an even air flow. It also includes refrigeration machine which will be for sample storage at negative 70 degree Celsius along with many other needs of the hospital and the State. The same will be sanitized, unpacked and brought to the State via road. Similar consignment for the lab was facilitated by Alkem Pharmaceutical Company which reached STNMhospital on Wednesday,” he shared.
Four technicians reaching Sikkim from New Delhi for the installation works would be first tested and quarantined in the lab facility along with their work. The technicians currently from Kolkata laying the epoxy flooring will be sent latest by tomorrow, paving way for the other four to be brought to the facility.
Once the machines are installed, the lab will not be functional for testing right away, explained the STNM hospital medical superintendent.
“First the machines need to be calibrated followed by almost 10 samples to be sent to ICMR in New Delhi or North Bengal Medical College & Hospital in Siliguri for approval. Once the tests from STNMviral lab match with the standard of ICMR or any other functioning viral lab, we will secure the authentication. Following which we will test our first batch with a possibility for 800 samples to be tested per day, as RT-PCR can be conducted for multiple tests at a given time.”
As per ICMR regulation, the lab needs to be spread across at least 300 square metre. “We have almost reached the requirement at 280 square metres which will include 13 rooms for the lab facility of which five rooms need to be for testing purpose. It also includes safety passage with special doors; flooring has to be epoxy with no porous area, and the ceiling of galvanized steel.
The STNM hospital medical superintendent highlighted issues with supply of materials, resulting in delay in completion, as most of West Bengal was closed for procurement of such needed materials. The completion of the lab will settle the long pending demand for a viral lab in the State, which was initially approved for functioning by ICMR in the State hospital in Sikkim in 2015.