In order to provide Covid testing access to rural inaccessible areas of India, the Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated and flagged off India’s first I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic lab) in New Delhi as a part of DBT-AMTZ COMManD [COVID Medtech Manufacturing Development] Consortia.
- I-Lab is a mobile testing facility that has been created by the Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ) team with the support of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the National Biopharma Mission being implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
- Notably, this laboratory was built in a record time of eight days from the date of receipt of Automotive Chassis (vehicle frame), from Bharat Benz.
- I-Lab will be deployed through the DBT testing hubs. The DBT hubs are premiere laboratories that are converted as Covid testing centers in a hub.
About I-lab:
This mobile diagnostic unit with biosafety facility has a BSL-2 facility with on-site ELISA, RT-PCR, Biochemistry analysers. The BSL -2 Lab is as per National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) specifications and is being attached to DBT’s certified Testing centres.
- It can run 25 Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 300 ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) tests in a day.
- Double set of Machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 per day in an 8 hours shift.
- It can be lifted from Automotive Chassis and can be put on goods train for sending to any location in the country.
- Additional test for other diseases for TB, HIV etc. to be costed as per CGHS rates.
About DBT-AMTZ COMManD
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology along with Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ) has initiated the DBT-AMTZ COMManD [COVID Medtech Manufacturing Development] Consortia to address the shortage of critical healthcare technologies in India.
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.
- AMTZ is Asia’s first medical equipment manufacturing ecosystem, uniquely dedicated for Medtech and supported by various Ministries. AMTZ through the support of DBT has also established manufacturing facility for indigenous manufacturing of kits on the lines of “Make-in India, Make for India”, thereby decreasing the dependence on imports.
About DBT:
Secretary– Renu Swarup
Headquarter– New Delhi
About AMTZ:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Dr. Jitendar Sharma
Headquarter– Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
