SGT Medical College plans to start RT-PCR test; awaits ICMR approval

The health department has also been using the TrueNat test for critical cases and pregnant woman, who had to go through a caesarian operation while delivering a baby. L

SGT Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in Budhera is planning to start Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests in its campus, said college officials. They said they will be applying for accreditation and approval this week from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the requisite machines for the test have already been procured and set up in the college’s laboratory. Last week, state officials announced that the RT-PCR test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes coronavirus disease or Covid-19) in suspected patients will also start in Civil Hospital even as they await ICMR’s approval.

In Gurugram, currently, seven private labs are functional, including one at Medanta Hospital. I (HT Photo)

A senior official in the state government, privy to the matter, said, “The Civil Hospital is waiting for approval from the ICMR. Meanwhile, SGT Medical College has procured the equipment required for RT-PCR test and will be applying for approval.”

The college under SGT University is planning to apply for approval this week, which might take almost a month for the final confirmation. Dr Mukesh Sharma, microbiologist, SGT College, said, “We have the machines to conduct RT-PCR and will be applying for the accreditation and approval from the ICMR by Wednesday or Thursday. Teams would be visiting the facility to check the functioning of machines and condition of the laboratory. Once we get the approval, we will be starting the tests.” Eighty beds have been reserved in the college for Covid-19 patients. Earlier, a quarantine facility was also set up for overseas travellers.

In Gurugram, currently, seven private labs are functional, including one at Medanta Hospital. It is the only hospital in the city permitted to conduct the tests. Since samples collected by health workers are sent to PGIMS Rohtak for testing, officials believe starting a government lab in the city would reduce the time gap of at least 3-5 days from the time of a sample is collected till the time test results are out and disclosed to the patients.

Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer(CMO), said, “If two RT-PCR labs are functional then we can get the reports out timely. Our lab technicians are already undergoing training to conduct the tests.”

The health department has also been using the TrueNat test for critical cases and pregnant woman, who had to go through a caesarian operation while delivering a baby. Like RT-PCR, for TruNat test throat and nasal swabs are collected in the viral transport medium (VTM) with virus lysis buffer, which inactivates the virus after which the test is conducted on RT-PCR chips. These chips are inserted inside the TrueNat diagnostic tool.

The TrueNat involves a two-step step process: E-gene screening assay for the suspected Covid-19 samples followed by a confirmatory assay of RdRp gene. As per the ICMR guidelines, if the E-gene screening is negative, the sample will be considered as true negative. But if the sample is positive, then RdRp assay will be done, which will be a confirmatory test. If the sample tests positive it will be considered as true positive and RT-PCR will not be required.