Madikeri: Taking yet another step to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) by conducting COVID testing on all symptomatic people, it has been decided to establish COVID testing laboratories at all taluk centres in the district.

The decision in this regard was taken at the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) general meeting at the ZP auditorium in Madikeri which was chaired by ZP President B.A. Harish.

Speaking at the meeting, ZP Member Madappa said that COVID-19 positive cases were increasing in the district and there is a need to prevent the spread of the virus. 

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. K. Mohan, who also spoke said that COVID testing is being conducted at all hospitals in the district and samples are being sent to the District Medical Sciences Laboratory to get the reports. Stating that doctors are employed on contract basis to all Primary and Community Health Centres in the district, Dr. Mohan said and added that AYUSH doctors have already been deployed.

Meanwhile, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Director Cariappa said that Rs. 1.5 crore was needed to commence COVID testing labs and added that the Government has established COVID labs in all districts and the staff at the labs was working in three shifts.

Mookonda P. Subramani, Mookonda Viju Subramani, Kiran Cariappa, Srinivas, Appachanda Mahesh Ganapathy, C.P. Puttaraju, Kavitha Prabhakar and others also  spoke.