Coronavirus testing centres in West Bengal: Check out complete list

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has increased the number of testing facilities as coronavirus cases surge India. At present, the total operational (initiated independent testing) laboratories reporting to ICMR across India are 476, which includes 345 government laboratories and 131 private laboratories.

In West Bengal, there are 21 coronavirus testing labs, out of which 13 are government and 8 private.

The ICMR has approved 11 government institutes and 5 private institutes to conduct RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) test for COVID-19. Under RT-PCR test, doctors take a sample of the throat or nasal swab.

Also read: Coronavirus testing centres in Maharashtra: Check out complete list

Also read: Coronavirus testing centres in Gujarat: Check out updated list

List of government institutes which are testing coronavirus:

1.National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases, Kolkata

2.Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata

3.Midnapore Medical  College

4.North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling

5.School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata

6.Malda Medical College & Hospital

7.Command Hospital, Kolkata

8.Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata

9.R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata

10.Murshidabad Medical College, Behrampore

11.Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata

List of private institutes which are testing coronavirus:

1. Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, 58 Canal Circular Road, Kolkata

3.Suraksha Diagnostic Pvt Ltd (Dept of Lab Services), 12/1, Premises No 02/0327, DG Block (Newtown), Action Area 1D, Newtown, Kolkata

4.Dr. Lal Pathlabs Ltd- Kolkata Reference lab, Plot No CB-31/1, Premises No 031-0199, Street No 199, Action Area 1C, Newtown, Kolkata

5.Dept of Lab Services, Medica Superspeciality Hospital, 127, Mukundpur, E.M. Bypass, Kolkata

Also read: Coronavirus testing centres in Delhi: Check out complete list

In West Bengal, Burdwan Medical College, and Kolkata Medical College are conducting CB-NAAT (Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test). CBNAAT machine is used to detect tuberculosis and it was readied for COVID-19 testing after modifying the software for the cartridges.

Private labs like--Laboratory Services, Peerless Hospitex Hospital & Research Centre; AMRI Hospitals, Dept of Lab Medicine, and Calcutta Medical Research Institute are also doing CB-NAAT tests.

Also read: 345 govt institutes, 131 private hospitals conduct coronavirus tests: ICMR

West Bengal has registered 2,063 positive cases of coronavirus as of May 12, 8 AM. According to the union ministry of health, in Bengal, fatalities due to COVID-19 have risen to 190 and 499 patients have been cured, so far.