Leh. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established a facility at Leh-based laboratory Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) to enhance the rate of Covid-19 testing to identify the pandemic cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The testing facility will also help in keeping close watch of the infected persons. The facility meets the safety standards and guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The centre was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh RK Mathur on July 22.
The testing facility at DIHAR is capable of screening 50 samples per day. The facility can also be utilised for training manpower for COVID testing and will be of great help to address future bio-threats and carrying out R&D activities pertinent to agro-animals diseases.
In his address, Lieutenant Governor Mathur lauded the efforts of DRDO in fighting Covid 19 and thanked Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO for making this facility available at DIHAR. He expressed hope that the facility will help in the treatment of infected persons.
The Lieutenant Governor also inspected the testing facility. He was briefed about the bio-safety aspect of the testing facility and precautionary measures to minimise cross-contamination and safety of researcher, health professionals and the environment.
Dr OP Chaurasia, Director DIHAR; Brig JB Singh, Commandant; Dr Padma Gurmet, Director NRISR, Leh; Dr Mutup Dorjey, CMO along with his team of doctors from SNM Hospital, Leh and other senior army officials and DRDO scientists were present on the occasion.
DIHAR is one of the life sciences laboratories of DRDO working on cold arid agro-animal technologies. The laboratory is screening and identifying the medicinal and aromatic plants to exploit them for use for defence purposes and also on greenhouse technologies for high altitude and cold desert areas.
