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Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 14 (EMN): The virology laboratory (Bio-safety Level-3) at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (now a Covid-19 hospital) received the green signal from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) based on validation of documentation and quality control test run, according to a Health official on Thursday.
The secretary for Health and Family Welfare, Kesonyü Yhome, informed: “Approval (for BSL-3) received from ICMR based on validation of documentation and quality control test run”.
As for the “testing of clinical sample” for coronavirus (Covid-19), he said that “it can begin as soon as reagents are supplied by ICMR”.
However, he added that ICMR did not give any “tentative date” as to when the reagents will be supplied. He hoped that it will not be unduly long.
On the progress of work for the BSL-2 lab at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research in Dimapur, he said that the “civil work” is going on.
Air ducting works have started and once this is done, other works will be taken up simultaneously, he had said earlier.
On April 16, the equipment for setting up of BSL-3 were airlifted to Dimapur and reached Kohima on the same night.
Last week, the lab infrastructure and all necessary measures for setting up of BSL-3 were completed, except for the approval from ICMR. Currently, suspected samples of Covid-19 in Nagaland are being sent to Manipur and Assam for testing.