'Mobile testing kit for COVID-19 soon'
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, June 06 2020: Health & Family Welfare Minister Langpoklakpam Jayantakumar has announced that his department would soon launch a mobile testing kit for COVID-19 .

A Ministerial team led by L Jayantakumar today visited different quarantine centres set up in Senapati district.

He also visited Kangpokpi district hospital along with Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen.

The team led by the Health Minister also included TA & Hills Minister N Kayisii, PHE Minister Loshi Dikho, Senapati DC Lalithambigai Kalidas, Senapati ADC Chairman and ADC Members, officials of Senapati district administration and officials of Health Department.

After visiting different quarantine centres set up in Senapati, a meeting was held at the Senapati ADC office complex.

Speaking at the meeting, L Jayantakumar said that the Health Department has decided to launch a mobile testing kit for COVID-19 at the earliest so as to mitigate difficulties encountered at the time of testing samples for the contagion.

This initiative would at least reduce the time and labour needed for taking samples to laboratories.

This will be very helpful specially to those who are in need of COVID-19 test in the hill areas.

He maintained that the available medical equipment and staff are not sufficient to fight the pandemic in the State and as such, the State Cabinet has given its consent to recruitment of 300 doctors as soon as possible.

He added that the recruitment of 106 number of staff nurses under National Health Mission which was left pending due to the current scenario of the pandemic, would be finalised.

This would make up the shortage of staff nurses to some extent.

The State's present COVID-19 testing capacity per day is above 1000 but this is not enough in view of the large number of people who came back recently from different parts of the country.

Nonetheless, the Government has been making all efforts to raise the testing capacity, Jayantakumar said.

He said that the novel coronavirus has a peculiar capability to change its strand.

As such, all the people must follow the guidelines prescribed by the WHO, ICMR and health experts.

He also urged the public to abide by the SoPs issued from time to time by the State Government to curb the pandemic.

Later, the Health Minister held a meeting with the CSOs of Senapati district.

He donated certain amount of money for the volunteers who have been fighting the pandemic in the forefront through Senapati ADC Senapati.

On his way back to Imphal, Jayantakumar visited Kangpokpi district hospital along with Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen and discussed the requirements of the hospital together with Kangpokpi DC Somorjit Salam.

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