SAIL sets up Covid-19 testing labs in Odisha

Mumbai: State-owned steel player, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) along with the Odisha Government has set up a Covid-19 testing lab at its Rourkela plant’s Ispat General Hospital on Wednesday.

“Doctor and paramedics of Ispat General Hospital trained at RMRC and AIIMS, Bhubaneswar will carry out the testing,” the company said in a statement.

All the major equipment for the testing facility have been provided by government of Odisha, and the infrastructure has been provided by SAIL-RSP.

As per Indian council of medical research’s department of health research on 14th of April, total operational (initiated independent testing) government laboratories were 171, plus 3 collection sites. Out of these, 5 medical colleges so far is been operating as testing labs in Odisha.

Nasal and throat swab collected from the suspected persons of the surrounding region will be tested at the Laboratory of IGH, Sail said.

It normally takes around 6 to 7 hours to get the results of a batch of samples.

SAIL-RSP had supplied 5 ventilators to the Odisha government few days ago and has been working along with local state administration to provide medical facilities in the fight against Corona.

Union minister of steel, petroleum and natural gas minister conducted a video conferencing with officers of ministry of steel and other central public sector enterprises in connection with PM-CARES contribution and other services and CSR initiatives to be undertaken towards combating Covid-19 pandemic.