Rajasthan govt to use tuberculosis-detection machines for coronavirus screening

The Rajasthan government will use tuberculosis-detection machines for coronavirus testing, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said.

The government will test the coronavirus infection through TB-testing CBNAAT machines which will give results in an hour, he said.

The state does cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) for tuberculosis.

Sharma said eight CBNAAT machines have been handed over from different districts to four medical colleges -- SMS Medical College in Jaipur, SN Medical College in Jodhpur, PBM Hospital in Bikaner and New Medical College in Kota -- of the state.

These machines can check a maximum of four samples at a time, he said.

The minister said free medicines for a month will be provided to all TB patients of the state.