PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb 4: It is said that law follows the crime. In the same way in Jharkhand, the virus detection machine is following the virus.
An insider in the health department said that COBAS 6800 reached Jharkhand when the second wave of the pandemic got over. And in a similar fashion, the genome sequencing machine is also expected to hit RIMS after the third wave of the pandemic gets over.
After several bureaucratic hurdles, the genome sequencing machine was ordered on 29th December 2021, which is expected to reach RIMS by mid-February 2022.
According to an NHM official, the order has been placed and the copy of the order has been sent to the RIMS.
On the other hand, RIMS has started its own procedures to procure the genome sequencing machine.
When lagatar24.com correspondent contacted the director of RIMS Dr Kameshwar Prasad for his comment on the issue, he said, “I have several things to do and I am in a video conferencing,” and disconnected the call.
When Public Relations Officer, Dr Dipendra Kumar Sinha was contacted for clarity over the genome sequencing machine, he said that process is going on to procure the machine for which a video conferencing was also done a few days back.
“The machine which was ordered by the state government has not reached RIMS till now. If two machines become available then one will be established in the genetics department and the other one in the microbiology department,” he said.
Earlier, Jharkhand High Court had also pulled up RIMS and the government for their failure to install a genome sequencing machine.
The court in a verbal observation had said that the state-run hospital and the government will only wake up from their slumber when the people of the state reach the cremation ground.
A genome sequencing machine is supposed to help medical experts gauge the genetic strain of the pathogen, particularly identifying the variant of the Sars Cov-2 virus that is afflicting the people at the moment. The machine will also aid in the swift diagnosis of the patients’ ailment.
