A COVID-19 laboratory has been set up in the Union Territoryof Ladakh to ensure timely and cost-effective sample testing, officials said onMonday.
Earlier, the samples had to be sent to Delhi by flightsleading to delays and heavy expenditure, they said.
The COVID-19 testing laboratory, first such facility in theunion territory, was set up with the help of Pernod Ricard India foundation,the officials said.
At this crucial time when COVID-19 poses a nationalchallenge, we believe that urgent emergency resources need to be deployed tofight the crisis. We are happy to support Ladakh in setting up its firstCOVID-19 testing lab, said Sunil Duggal, Vice President, Corporate Affairs,Pernod Ricard India.
The new laboratory is a fully equipped facility compliantwith Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) standards, he said.
It would enable the administration to understand the scaleof the disease spread, gauge preparedness of the local healthcare system andenforce preemptive measures, Duggal added.
The foundation has also provided 40,000 medical masks, 500N95 masks and 1,000 hand sanitisers for the frontline workers in the unionterritory, he said.