In view of the increasing prevalence of Covid in Bhandara district, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has ordered the setting up of a swab testing RTPCR lab, a press statement issued by the Maharashtra Government said on Thursday.

At present, there is no facility at Bhandara to check the swabs of suspected patients. The swabs have to be sent to Nagpur for investigation. The results in a delay of treatment by two to three days. An RTPCR testing laboratory is therefore being sanctioned immediately, Tope said in the statement.

He was speaking at a review meeting held at the District Collector's Office after inspecting facilities at the District General Hospital, Bhandara.

The Minister said since the swab testing laboratory will be at Bhandara, the test report will be available immediately. This will make it possible to treat positive patients immediately. Ventilators and oxygen support beds should be updated and higher contact tracing and screening of coronavirus positive patients must be carried out by the district administration.

He also directed that the laboratory begin operations within a week. The required manpower should be made available by the District Collector immediately. He also suggested that laboratory technicians should be sent to Nagpur for training, the statement said.

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