*Lab in Srinagar commissioned 4 yrs back
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, July 8: Even after the lapse of over six years, the Bio-Safety Level-3 could not be made functional in Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu while a similar lab announced at the same time for Kashmir was made functional in Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar around four years back.
Official sources told Excelsior that after the outbreak of Swine Flu in the year 2015, the concerned J&K Government had announced two Level-3 Bio Safety labs, one for Jammu Division at GMC Jammu and another for Kashmir Division at Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar so that such pandemics could be tackled effectively.
The funds for the two labs were also released by the Government the very next day of their announcement. While a sum of Rs 6.3 crore was released for the lab at GMC Jammu, an amount of Rs 5.63 crore was released for the lab to be established in CD Hospital Srinagar.
Sources said while both the labs were announced simultaneously, the Lab in Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar was made functional about four years back but the lab at GMC Jammu is still in installation stage. They said the administration of Government Medical College Jammu failed to select even a firm till ending 2018 when the lab had been fully established in CD Hospital Srinagar and was ready for commissioning.
“In the year 2019, the GMC administration woke up from slumber and allotted the task of installation of lab to Biosafe India Limited, the company which had installed the lab in CD Hospital Srinagar. The company started the work soon after allotment and in few months completed about 50-60 % of the work but it suddenly stopped the work due to non-payment of dues.
Sources said though the desired payment was released to the firm after a month or two, but thereafter due to outbreak of COVID-19 and resultant lockdown, the work could not be taken up by the firm for around two months.
Revealing present status of the lab work, sources said while all civil and mechanical work has been completed and all requisite machinery procured but some electrical work including installation of air conditioning system is still pending. Moreover, the company installing the lab is yet to certify the machinery procured for the lab.
Sources said the Biosafety Level-3 lab is the ideal place for testing of Coronavirus. “Had there been Bio Safety Level-3 lab in place in the year 2020, the COVID testing capacity of Jammu region would have almost double and the testing staff doesn’t have to go guarded as they are going presently in BSL-2 lab, which is not as safe as is BSL-3 lab.
Sources said the 2nd wave of COVID is not yet over and the sword of third wave is looming large over the country as well as Jammu and Kashmir and in this situation, the GMC administration should show some seriousness and get the lab installed and made functional well before the 3rd wave of COVID-19.
When contacted, Principal GMC Jammu Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma said that the work of installation of Bio Safety Level-3 Lab is going on at a fast pace and hopefully, within 15-20 days, the lab would be ready for commissioning.
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