Samples pile up at RIMS, JNIMS
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 10 2020: With the continuous arrival of people who were earlier stranded in different States of the country due to the country-wide lockdown, samples are literally piling up at RIMS and JNIMS for COVID-19 test.

Notably, a special train has left Chennai for Jiribam at 8 pm today with stranded Manipuri people.

Manipuri people who are returning to the State at the initiative of Ministers, MLAs or on their own are put under institutional quarantine and the Health Department has been collecting their samples for COVID-19 test.

The number of samples collected so far has grown quite large.

Nonetheless, all the samples which are currently stored in deep freezers would be tested within the next five to seven days, informed a source.

The machine installed at RIMS for COVID-19 test is capable of testing 120 samples at the maximum in a day.

But the other one installed at JNIMS can test as many as 250 samples in a single day, said the source.

However, considering the possibility of errors in the test results when the machines are put to work for long hours, only around 50 samples are tested on average in a day at both JNIMS and RIMS.

Informing that the two laboratories of JNIMS and RIMS would carry on COVID-19 test regularly, the official said that no definite instruction has been received from the Centre as yet on whether those people who would be brought back by special trains would be tested for COVID-19 or not.

On the other hand, the Union Cabinet Secretary held a video conference with all State Governments today and the State Governments were asked to conduct COVID-19 test for all whose people who show symptoms.

The Union Cabinet Secretary further directed State Governments to keep those who show limited symptoms under home quarantine, said the official.

The numbers of ventilators reserved for COVID-19 treatment are 15 at RIMS, seven at JNIMS and two each at district hospitals.

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