DRDO sets up Covid testing facility in Leh

The facility has been established at the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Leh.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has set up a Covid-19 testing facility in Leh to increase the rate of testing to identify corona cases in Ladakh, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

Until now, samples for Covid testing were sent from Leh to Delhi or Chandigarh.(HT photo)

The facility has been established at the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Leh.

“The testing facility at DIHAR is capable of screening 50 samples per day. The facility can also be utilised for training manpower for Covid testing and will be of great help to address future bio-threats and carrying out R&D activities pertinent to agro-animal diseases,” the ministry said in a statement.

Until now, samples for Covid testing were sent from Leh to Delhi or Chandigarh. The new facility, inaugurated by lieutenant governor RK Mathur on Wednesday, meets the safety standards and guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research.

Mathur was briefed about the bio-safety aspects of the testing facility and precautionary measures to minimise cross-contamination and safety of researchers, health professionals and the environment, the statement said.

DIHAR is one of the life sciences laboratories of DRDO working on cold arid agro-animal technologies.