Details
Raju Vernekar
vernekar.raj@gmail.com
“While Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) ( primarily used to measure the amount of a specific RNA), is limited to well equipped hospitals, True NAAT can be deployed at district hospitals across the country. At present 77 True NAAT testing machines are in use for COVID and there are a total of 1,800 True NAAT machines across the country which can be deployed by states when needed for COVID 19 testing.”
“After obtaining an approval from the Central Drug Standard Control Organization, a private company has developed 10 million PCR tests and 5 million viral extraction kits. Another indigenous manufacturer has developed a viral extraction kit. These RT-PCR testing kits should be validated before mass testing. Initially, these tests were validated only at NIV, Pune. To expedite kits produced by the industry and reduce the burden on NIV, now 14 validation centers across the country have been approved. 71 testing kits have been evaluated and 28 have been approved for use till date. Out of the these 14 kits are indigenous ones.”
