Nagaland on Sunday received 3840 units of Rapid Diagnostic test kits for COVID-19 from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi.
The consignment was flown in to Dimapur by an India Air Force Dronier-228 light utility multipurpose aircraft.
Informing this in his daily briefing on status of COVID-19, principal secretary home, Abhijit Sinha said as per ICMR, the gold standard of COVID-19 test is RT-PCR and Rapid test is only a supplementary test for assessing prevalence of the disease within specific parameter. The ICMR advisory on use of the rapid test is for hotspot areas and surveillance tool for epidemiological purposes, Sinha stated.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio in his tweet said: “The much-awaited critical consignment of rapid diagnostic test kit for #COVID-19 issued by the Government of India, for #Nagaland, through @ICMRDELHI has arrived by special Dornier flight of the @IAF_MCC. The kits will be used in hot spots identified in the state.”
Health & Family Welfare department deputy director and nodal officer for Dimapur, Dr. Tiasunup Pongener, who had received the consignment at the airport, was optimistic that with the availability of kits now, the department will soon start screening of suspects in hotspot areas.
He said it will be a tremendous boost to enhance the capabilities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the front line workers.
Dr. Tia said he was satisfied with the preparedness of COVID-19 facilities in the district and that all medical equipments were of national standards, which were also being used in other states.
He further reassured that improvement of COVID-19 facility will be an ongoing and continuous process and all dedicated efforts were being made in this regard by the directorate and respective line departments of the state government.
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