Nagaland will soon have BSL-3 lab to conduct COVID-19 tests: CM

Kohima, Apr 16 () Nagaland will soon have a level-3Bio-safety Laboratory (BSL-3) to conduct COVID-19 sample test,Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Thursday.

Nagaland does not have a BSL-3 lab at present and allsuspected COVID-19 samples are sent either to Assam or Manipurfor testing.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu announced the arrivalof equipment for setting up of BSL-3 lab at Naga HospitalAuthority Kohima, which has also been designated and madefunctional as COVID-19 hospital.

"Equipment for setting up of BSL-3 at NHAK, along withtechnicians have reached Nagaland," Rio tweeted.

He thanked the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) Delhi for fulfilling the long felt need of the stategovernment to have own testing facilities.

The chief minister asserted that the work will beginimmediately, round-the-clock, so that it is functional at theearliest.

The Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Department saidthat the state has no COVID-19 positive case, adding that theone positive case of a 33-year-old man from Dimapur has beenadded to the tally of Assam as sampling was done in GuwahatiMedical College Hospital and the patient is undergoingtreatment there only.

Health department officials also revealed that fivemedical personnel from the state have recently completedtraining at Indian Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh on thefunctioning of the BSL-3 lab.

Meanwhile, NHAK COVID-19 Hospital in the state capitalis ready to take COVID-19 patients, said Dr Sentimeren Aonok,Public Information Officer (PIO) of the hospital.

He said the hospital is ready with 67 beds for COVID-19 patients and can be upgraded to accommodate more patients.

Aonok said the hospital authorities have alreadyprepared a roster for a team of around 500 health workers,including 40 doctors, 137 nurses and more than 300 other staffto take care of the patients.

At present, the ICU has 20 beds with nine ventilators,he said.

Aonok said the Chedema COVID-19 hospital in theoutskirts of the state capital is also ready with 40 bedfacility.

On the availability of Personal Protective Equipment(PPEs) of different qualities for the health workers, he saidthe government through the Health and Family WelfareDepartment has provided 2055 PPEs, 1100 N95 masks, 2600 FFPAmasks, 12,300 triple layer masks, 10 each Infrared Thermometerand High Viral Transport Medium. NBSRG RG