Dr Lal Pathlabs to offer testing service for H1N1

Medical Diagnostics company Dr Lal Pathlabs would start offering testing facility for the deadly H1N1 influenza once its laboratory gets approved by the government of India.

"We have been approached by the Delhi government to offer testing for H1N1 influenza and we could start this (test) service as soon as our lab is approved by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) for conducting such tests," Lal Pathlabs Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Lal told reporters Wednesday.

He said a team of government experts will soon visit the laboratory's testing facility in Okhla for grant of approval.

"It may take 3 weeks to one month for starting the service (for H1N1)," he said.

Meanwhile, Lal said the company has placed orders for import of testing kits for conducting 1000 tests at a cost of Rs 10 lakh.

"We have requisite technology like RTPCR and BSL2 whereby we can conduct test for H1N1 influenza," he said.

The cost of the test would range between Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per test, he said.

The company said it will dedicate centres in and around Delhi for sample collection, which will then be sent to its Okhla centre for testing.

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