A COVID-19 testing centre, established at the King George Hospital (KGH), here, will start functioning soon, Minister for Tourism Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao has said.
The Minister inaugurated the COVID-19 testing centre at the Rajendra Prasad ward on Friday in the presence of District Collector V. Vinay Chand and VMRDA Chairman Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the COVID-19 samples used to be sent initially to Tirupati and later to Kakinada for testing. He thanked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for releasing ₹1.25 crore for the testing centre. He said the next two weeks were crucial to cut the COVID-19 chain. The first positive patient in the city has turned negative as the case was detected early and timely treatment was given to him.
The District Collector said that 60 tests a day could be performed at the COVID-19 testing centre in KGH. The samples of 19 persons, who returned to the district after attending the religious meeting at Nizamuddin, were sent for testing. Of them five were positive, nine negative and the reports of five were awaited.
He said that 28 others, who had travelled with the group from Nizamuddin, were identified so far. The samples pertaining to 23 were collected and sent for testing, while five others, who came initially, left the district. The 23 persons are being treated in a hospital.
G. Arjuna, Superintendent, KGH, P.V. Sudhakar, Principal, Andhra Medical College, K. Indira Devi, Deputy Superintendent and Kamala Devi, Virology Lab in-charge.
