Navi Mumbai to start its first Covid testing lab soon

After spending months sending their samples to Mumbai and other cities for testing, Navi Mumbai will soon get its own Covid-19 testing laboratory. According to the

After spending months sending their samples to Mumbai and other cities for testing, Navi Mumbai will soon get its own Covid-19 testing laboratory. According to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the infrastructure for the lab is ready and they are waiting to apply for approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to begin operations.

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The lab is being set up at the civic hospital at Nerul and officials claim it could be operational by Saturday.

NMMC has so far been sending test samples to labs in Mumbai and other cities which has led to delays in getting the reports. There have been instances of patients dying before the test results came through. For the past four months, residents and local representatives have been demanding a lab in the city to ensure results are given within 24 hours.

Municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar, who took over earlier this month, had assured immediate action in the matter.

“The process for starting the lab is underway. The equipment has been supplied and training is underway. Once completed, we will apply for permission from ICMR, which we hope to get by Saturday. As per the present capacity, we should be able to start with 500 tests a day. Once the lab starts functioning for 24 hours, 1,000 tests a day will be possible,” said Bangar.

BN Kumar, a social activist from Navi Mumbai, said, “For over four months, a well-planned city like Navi Mumbai did not have a lab of its own, which was shocking. We were behind the administration for a long time for such a lab. It is good that the city will finally have its own lab.”