Def Min unveils mobile lab that will enhance fight against COVID-19

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday unveiled via video link a Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) developed by DRDO that will help in speeding up COVID-19 screening, a statement said.

The first such Mobile Viral Research Lab (MVRL) that will speed up coronavirus screening and related R&D activities was developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), the Hyderabad-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in consultation with ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad, the statement said.

The Mobile Viral Research Lab is the combination of a Biosafety Level 3 lab and a BSL 2 lab essential to carry out its activities.

The lab is built as per World Health Organisation (WHO) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) biosafety standards to meet international guidelines. The system has built-in electrical controls, LAN, telephone cabling, and CCTVs, the statement added.

The Mobile Lab will be helpful in carrying out diagnosis of COVID-19 and also virus culturing for drug screening, convalescent plasma derived therapy, comprehensive immune profiling of COVID-19 patients towards vaccine development and early clinical trials specific to Indian population.

The lab can screen 1,000-2,000 samples per day and can be positioned anywhere in the country as per requirement, the statement added.

Speaking on this occasion, the Union defence minister said the government has taken several timely decisions because of which the spread of COVID-19 in the country is far less in comparison to many other countries.

Singh also appreciated the setting up of this Biosafety Level 2 and Level 3 lab in a record time of 15 days though it usually takes about six months to set up such a lab. He said the testing facility can process more than 1,000 samples in a day and will enhance the country's capabilities in fighting COVID-19.

He said the armed forces are contributing in the fight against COVID-19 in many ways - such as setting up of quarantine centres, providing healthcare facilities, evacuating Indian nationals from other countries.

The online inauguration was also attended by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Telangana's Minister for IT - KT Rama Rao, Telangana's Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy and DRDO chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy.