Though the Davangere district administration is busy fighting against a sudden rise in the number of coronavirus positive cases, by taking all precautionary measures to check the spread of the disease, the setting up of a virology laboratory is likely to be delayed due to a change in plan.
Initially the plan was to have the virology laboratory to cater to the needs of the districts of Davangere, Haveri and Ballari and the Union government had sent a proposal for the same. Now, considering the sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, there has been a change in plan and now the State government wants to set up a virology laboratory for Davangere district itself under the SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund) grants.
Davangere has so far registered a total of 44 cases. Of them, 39 are undergoing treatment at the designated hospital, three have died and two have been discharged from the hospital after treatment.
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Confirming the development, Davangere district-in-charge Minister B.A. Basavaraj said in Davangere on Tuesday that now the Centre had been be convinced of the government’s plan to set up the laboratory under SDRF grants and the necessary process has been started.
He said that ₹ 74-lakh proposal for setting up the laboratory had been prepared and sent for approval from the commissioner of the department concerned. Meanwhile, steps are being taken to set up the laboratory in anticipation of the required approval from the competent authorities, he said.
The Minister also said that steps were being taken to establish the laboratory at the district hospital at the earliest and it would be a permanent facility.
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Meanwhile, SS Hitech Hospital, a private hospital in Davangere, is likely to start conducting COVID-19 tests in another three days. The Minister said that the hospital was expected to get approval from the competent authorities in a day or two and thereafter, the laboratory would start conducting tests.