A full-fledged sample collection centre for COVID-19 testing may come up on the Manasagangotri campus of University of Mysore as the district administration wants to ramp up testing here to contain the spread of the infection.
Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar told The Hindu that the district health officer had visited the campus and discussed about having a centre that could collect nearly 500 swab samples a day. The samples collected would be sent to the respective testing labs for RT-PCR testing.
“The district administration wanted we have a sample collection centre. Anybody can give their swabs for the test. As of now, a small sample centre is functioning on the campus. The facilities and other logistics required for the expanding the centre was discussed with the DHO,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the academic council meeting here on Wednesday, the V-C said the university will explore the possibilities of establishing a COVID-19 care centre on the campus for housing any infected students.
“We can have a facility with eight to ten beds for isolating the students infected with COVID-19. As of now, there are no students on the campus. If need be, the university will set up such a facility in the interest of students,” he said.
Some members at the meeting said the campuses may resume classes sooner or later depending the Centre’s advisory. When the classes resume and students turn up, the university should prepare itself to face the pandemic and help the students, they suggested.
