IIT Mandi signs MoU with medical college to tackle coronavirus

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College & Hospital (SLBSGMCH), to tackle coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh.

In order to tackle the coronavirus outbreak in the Himachal Pradesh region, the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College & Hospital (SLBSGMCH).

IIT Mandi will set up a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory at SLBSGMCH, to help the medical staff in diagnosing the Coronavirus.

For this purpose, the institute has already provided a real-time PCR machine along with a few other types of equipment as well as trained personnel to SLBSGMCH. This is to set up the real-time PCR reactor and data analysis, which is one of the crucial steps for diagnosis, after Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) isolation.

This instrument will be used specifically for coronavirus diagnosis and will help in increasing the testing process by analyzing 100 samples if it is run for 24 hours continuously.

If required, it can be increased to the capacity of conducting up to 1000 samples per day for the detection of COVID-19. SLBSGMCH will start analysing the COVID-19 samples after getting approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

IIT Mandi is also conducting a training session for SLBSGMCH on the real-time PCR setup and data analysis.

All the activities in the PCR lab for COVID-19 diagnosis will take place with mutual consent and each organisation will nominate one coordinator to oversee the functioning of diagnostic facilities.

The death toll due to coronavirus infection in the country rose to 377 while the number of cases soared to 11,439 on Wednesday, as per the data released by the Health Ministry.

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