Genome sequencing facility to start in Srinagar, Haldwani & Almora medical colleges

State seeks 3 lakh precaution doses of Covid vaccine from Centre 

Saturday, 24 December 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN

In view of the alert sounded by the Government of India about the new sub variant of the Covid-19 virus, the State Health department has decided to set up genome sequencing facilities in the Srinagar, Haldwani and Almora medical colleges. At present this facility is available in only Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) in the State. 

The State Health department has sought permission from National Centre for Communicable Diseases (NCDC) for starting the genome sequencing of the samples of Covid-19 patients. The labs of these three medical colleges have already been equipped and they would start doing genome sequencing after the permission of the NCDC. The Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that the State government has decided to increase the number of RTPCR tests and directed the health department to increase the pace of vaccination drive. He said that the State has placed a demand for three lakh precaution doses of the vaccine with the health department.

 Rawat participated in a virtual meeting of the health ministers of all the States on Covid-19 on Friday. The meeting was chaired by the union health minister Mansukh Mandavia.

The union minister directed the health ministers to increase the pace of vaccination drive, RTPCR tests and genome sequencing of all the Covid-19 positive cases. He said all the States should conduct a mock drill on December 27 in all these health centres to check preparedness for the pandemic. In the meeting Rawat said that 100 per cent administration of first and second dose of vaccine has been done in 12 plus population in Uttarakhand while 25 per cent have been given precaution dose. He said that the medical colleges of the State have a combined capacity to conduct 11,000 RTPCR tests per day and conduct genome sequencing of 2,000 samples in a month.