Ladakh gets its first COVID-19 testing lab

A COVID-19 laboratory has been set up in the Union Territory of Ladakh to ensure timely and cost-effective sample testing, officials said on Monday.

Earlier, the samples had to be sent to Delhi by flights leading to delays and heavy expenditure, they said.

The COVID-19 testing laboratory, first such facility in the union territory, was set up with the help of Pernod Ricard India foundation, the officials said.

At this crucial time when COVID-19 poses a national challenge, we believe that urgent emergency resources need to be deployed to fight the crisis. We are happy to support Ladakh in setting up its first COVID-19 testing lab, said Sunil Duggal, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Pernod Ricard India.

The new laboratory is a fully equipped facility compliant with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) standards, he said.

It would enable the administration to understand the scale of the disease spread, gauge preparedness of the local healthcare system and enforce preemptive measures, Duggal added.

The foundation has also provided 40,000 medical masks, 500 N95 masks and 1,000 hand sanitisers for the frontline workers in the union territory, he said.