CM Pema Khandu requests Narendra Modi for TrueNat testing machines

The States's lone medical college is getting overwhelmed as returnees to the State increased after the Centre allowed inter-State movement of stranded people

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support the State by providing TrueNat testing machines approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for speedy COVID-19 testing.

Attending the video conference conducted by the Prime Minister with Chief Ministers to discuss ways to strengthen coronavirus containment strategy and stepping up of economic activities in a calibrated manner, Khandu said that the present RT-PCR lab in the State's lone medical college – Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) – is getting overwhelmed as returnees to the State increased after the Centre allowed inter-State movement of stranded people.

Taking to tweeter, Khandu said, "Since Arunachal has mandated testing of all persons entering the State, I request PM Narendramodi Ji to support TrueNat testing machine approved by ICMRDELHI for speedy coronavirus test."

Khandu also requested the Prime Minister to continue working to bring in investment for the Northeast region.

"Fight to contain coronavirus must not have a compromising effect on the economy. The Northeast has great potential areas for investment, particularly in horti and agri sector. I request Prime Minister Modi to continue working to bring in investment for the region," the Chief Minister tweeted.

"The entire Northeastern States are working closely and as a team to collectively fight coronavirus," Khandu added in his tweet.

In another tweet Khandu said that "In the fight against coronavirus, our tribal bodies, community apex bodies, women organisations have been actively working on the ground carrying forward the message of Narendramodi Ji of using face mask, to maintain social distance, to volunteer to fight COVID19."

"Decisive leadership by narendramodi Ji for lockdown has helped slow spread of coronavirus. As entire nation battles the virus, this has prompted the States to revisit the status of health infrastructure and work on it. Arunachal is aggressively working for robust healthcare," Khandu tweeted after the fifth virtual interaction between the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers on Monday.

The Prime Minister interacted with the Chief Ministers last on April 27. Days after the meeting, the Central Government had extended the lockdown by two more weeks till May 17 to arrest the spread of the virus, but gave several relaxations in economic activities and movement of people.

The nationwide lockdown has been in force since March 25 to contain the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 2,200 people, and afflicted more than 67,000 in the country.

Earlier in the day, Khandu convened a meeting in his office with the members of Arunachal chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and discussed on ramping up the State's testing capacity using cheaper and faster machines, such as TrueNat, ELISA, official sources informed.

Such use of mobile machines would ease out pressure on the lone COVID-19 testing lab in TRIHMS that uses RT-PCR technology for screening the samples, the sources added. 

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