This story is from April 20, 2020

Month after HC order, Covid-19 labs yet to start at Yavatmal, Chandrapur

Month after HC order, Covid-19 labs yet to start at Yavatmal, Chandrapur
Nagpur: Nearly a month after the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court’s order of starting Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) at Chandrapur and Yavatmal, hardly anything has progressed, government officials said.
On March 23, the HC had directed to set up these labs at Government Medical College and Hospitals (GMCHs) for testing Covid-19 patients at both places.
Since HC’s directives, the Mumbai-based Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) only granted its administrative approval, but failed to provide equipment and other facilities required to establish VRDL till date.
It also granted same approval for VRDL at Gondia GMCH through a government resolution. But there too, the condition is same.
The DMER had applied for Indian Council for Medical Research’s (ICMR) approval. The ICMR has appointed AIIMS in city as nodal agency for granting such approvals in Vidarbha for Covid-19 testing, where the DMER proposals are pending.
Chandrapur GMCH dean Dr SS More confirmed that it would take 8-10 days to set up VRDL as they had given orders to purchase equipment required for it. “We’ve started renovation of the place where this lab would come up on our premises,” he said, while denying any delay.
Similar conditions are prevailing in Yavatmal GMCH. “We’ve sent orders for procuring equipment from Haffkine Institute and readying infrastructure, which would take a minimum of 10 days,” Dr Kamble, a professor of paediatrics, said.

Nodal officer at AIIMS for VRDL, Dr Manish Shrigiriwar, who’s working under director Dr Vibha Dutta, told TOI that both GMCHs had just applied for purchase of equipment from Haffkine Institute and approval would be granted only after entire infrastructure is in place as per rules and regulations.
The HC would hear the case on Monday.
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