Will take only 15 to 30 mins to display : Director Health Kashmir
Malik Sameed
Srinagar 19 April(KNB): Around 12000 kits for rapid testing of Covid-19 have been flown in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of 12000 kits, 9000 have been dispatched to Kashmir Valley while 3000 to Jammu.
According to reports reached to Kashmir News Bureau, “Every 1000 kits will be sent to red zone areas of Kashmir division and Jammu division.”
Talking to Kashmir News Bureau Director SKIMS Dr A.G Ahangar said, “We receive kits on a daily basis through ICMR, and at present our testing capacity is more than 400 hundred per day, However, we are trying to speed up the testing.”
When asked about the arrival of 12000 kits, Dr Ahangar said, “It will make a big difference.”
However, 17 positive cases which later turned negative discharged, while 18 positive cases are under observation in SKIMS Soura hospital.
“We have received 9600 rapid testing kits so far and sent in 83 red zone areas in Kashmir valley – It will take only 15 to 30 mins for testing.” said Director Health Kashmir, Dr Samir Mattoo.
“The rapid testing kits is less time consuming and can bring the time frame down to 20 minutes to 2 hours, while as the current test took more time, may be days depending upon the facilities- it is designed to find the genetic materials from the virus by testing person’s nose and throat samples,” said a doctor.
“This will strengthen government’s efforts to ramp up its coronavirus testing facilities, initially the kits will be used in red zone areas to test people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath and where number of covid 19 cases are high like in Bandipora, Srinagar and Baramulla,” said the official who asked not to be named
Pertaintely, Jammu and Kashmir has reported 341 positive cases for covid 19, 05 deaths and around 40 recovered. Out of 350, Kashmir division reported 295 and Jammu is on 55.(KNB)