COVID-19 test facility set up in KGH, Visakhapatnam with Rs. 1.25 crore

The COVID-19 test facility has been set up in the Visakhapatnam District informed State Tourism and Culture Minister, Muttamsetti Srinivasarao. On Friday, the opening of the COVID-19 testing lab, in the Rajendra Prasad Ward at King George Hospital (KGH), was attended by the Minister, the Visakhapatnam District Collector, V. Vinay Chand (IAS) and the VMRDA Chairman, Dronamraju Srinivasarao. The Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory(VRDL) in KGH will test samples of suspects from Visakhapatnam and nearby districts.

On this occasion, the Tourism Minister also said that uptil now the samples of the COVID-19 suspects were being sent initially to Tirupati, and later to Kakinada. He said that the test centre at KGH will be offering the same services in Visakhpatnam. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, granted Rs.1.25 crores to set up the COVID-19 test facility in Visakhapatnam. The Minister also said that the next two weeks will be very crucial and there is no need to panic. He informed that the first positive case from Allipuram had recovered, though he is elderly, as he came to the hospital at the right time. Therefore, he could receive the appropriate treatment.

The Visakhapatnam District Collector, V Vinay Chand (IAS), said that the Rs.1.25 crore test centre can screen sixty COVID-19 samples a day.  He also informed that there are nineteen people, in Visakhapatnam, who have been identified as having attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. Their samples have been collected, out of which 5 positive coronavirus cases were reported. 9 samples have tested negative. The remaining 5 reports are awaiting the results.  He said that the people, with whom the congregation attendees got in touch during their travel, have been identified as 28 in number.  Out of these,  23 samples were sent for screening for COVID-19 and at present, they are in the hospital. Five of them have moved back to their respective districts. The District Collector also assured that all the suspects have been receiving good treatment.