Testing: VRDL attracts attention

The Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL) at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences has attracted the attention of the State by securing the first place among laboratories in terms of its performan

The Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL) at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences has attracted the attention of the State by securing the first place among laboratories in terms of its performance against the daily testing capacity. The lab, with its daily capacity of 2,000 tests, conducted an average of 3,376 tests in the May 8 – 14 week, registering a performance of 169%. The Hassan district administration, in a communiqué here on Sunday, said the lab had been performing beyond its capacity, given the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the district. The VRDL, set up in 2016, was among the first labs in the country to process samples for the infection when COVID-19 started spreading. For many months, samples collected in 7 to 8 districts were tested here. Then, it had the capacity to test only 300 samples in a day. Gradually, this was enhanced. The administration appreciated the efforts of HIMS Director B.C. Ravi Kumar and District Surgeon V.R. Krishnamurthy in making proper use of the lab.