Jaipur, June 25.The facility of Genome Sequencing has been started in SMS Medical College on the directions of Chief Minister MrAshok Gehlot. Rajasthan has become the first State in the country to have the Total Genome Sequencing at the state-level.
Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma said that the facility of genome sequencing has been made available in the State to prevent covid-19. Information about the new variants of the virus could be known with the technique of genome sequencing. He said that the system of genome sequencing has been started at the SMS Medical College by spending Rs 1 crore.
Dr Sharma said that till now the samples from the State were being sent to IGIB lab in Delhi set up for Rajasthan by Central Government’s Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). As per the fixed limit, 10 samples per day, that is 300 samples in a month were sent, but their reports were not being received on time.
He said that the machine installed at the SMS Medical College has started functioning from June 15. The capacity of the machine is to check 20 samples per day and soon its capacity will be increased to check 80 samples per day. The report of the sample is received in 3-4 days.
Dr Sharma said that till now genome sequencing of around 100 samples of covid-19 has been done. As per the test report, Delta variant was found in around 90% of the samples and covid-19 B 1.1 variant was found in the remaining 10% of the samples. He expressed confidence that effective monitoring on the changing variants of covid-19 can be done with the availability of genome sequencing facility in the State.
