BSL-2 inauguration on June 27; Nagaland’s third lab at Tuensang in progress

Returnees in quarantine centres requested to co-operate with the authority

Our CorrespondentKohima, June 24 (EMN): In what will ramp up Nagaland’s Covid-19 testing capacity, the much-awaited bio-safety level-2 (BSL-2) laboratory at Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR) in Dimapur, is set to be inaugurated on Saturday, June 27.

This was informed by the personal assistant to minister for Health and Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom on Wednesday evening. He said that the inaugural programme of the laboratory has been advanced by two days (from earlier schedule of June 29) in order to activate the facility early considering the urgent need.

The Health and Family Welfare minister will inaugurate the BSL-2 in Dimapur, it was informed. He had visited the facility on June 22 to inspect the installation work.

Director of CIHSR Dr. Sedevi Angami had earlier informed that the newly constructed laboratory had received approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

So far, the state has been relying on the BSL-3 virology laboratory at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (now Covid-19 hospital), TrueNat machines and labs in the neighbouring states of Assam and Manipur for testing Covid-19 suspected samples, thus causing delay in getting test results.

Once operational, the BSL-2 in Dimapur will be Nagaland’s second bio-safety laboratory after the BSL-3 in Kohima.

Tuensang BSL-2 lab in progress

Meanwhile, the state’s third bio-safety lab at Tuensang is said to be in progress. A member of the Technical Committee for BSL-2 laboratory at Tuensang, Dr. Thangoi Lam, SPO NHM (Technical) told Eastern Mirror on Wednesday that the civil work for the facility is progressing.

Lam maintained that it will take at least one or two weeks to complete the civil work and that setting up of the laboratory will begin after activation of BSL-2 in Dimapur.

The official informed that the orders for the equipment had been placed and the government has already issued permit for the transport truck as the consignment will be brought to Tuensang by road unlike the previous consignments (BSL-3 in Kohima and BSL-2 in Dimapur).

He added that the state government is trying its best to set up the laboratory in Tuensang at the earliest considering the urgent need.

Phom requests returnees to co-operate

With reports of commotion in various quarantine centres surfacing, Phom has requested persons undergoing quarantine co-operation with the authorities and follow the state government’s guidelines.

The minister also informed that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI, has allotted 45 ventilators to the state to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and that it will be distributed to all the districts of the state on need basis. He added that the state will continue its effort to avail all basic medical requirements.