The latest bottleneck to confront the Indian healthcare system in scaling up molecular diagnostic testing for Covid-19 is shortage of tools and equipment needed to collect and transport samples called the viral transport mediums (VTM).

India continues to see a shortfall in the availability of personal protection equipment (PPE) for healthcare even as the government significantly ramps up domestic production and some kits from China failed quality tests.

A Kerala-based institute has developed a diagnostic test for Covid-19 which it claims can furnish results in less than half the time taken by the method currently being used in the country and for a fraction of its cost — ₹1,000.

In a memorandum dated April 1, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change relaxed the import policy to facilitate use of second-hand ventilators by hospitals.

These kits, also known as serological testing kits, are not meant for early diagnosis or detection of the disease, said Raman Gangakhedkar, head of the department of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Patients will swab their own nose using a testing kit sent by the company and will mail it in an insulated package back to the company.

The ICMR has asked research institutions including hospitals to participate in the funding round and it expects research activities to take off by June.

Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been recognised for her contribution to the world of medicine as an entrepreneur and innovative business leader, the Bengaluru-headquartered biopharmaceuticals company said in a statement.

Niti Aayog and the Department of Biotechnology have launched the Consortium for Affordable & Rapid Diagnostics (CARD) to scale up India’s capacity to make coronavirus testing kits. The move comes after India faced quality issues with Chinese-made antibody testing kits.

The EIR has been closed with a voluntary action indicated (VAI) classification for the observations, it added. As per the USFDA, a VAI means that objectionable conditions or practices were found, but the agency is not prepared to take or recommend any administrative or regulatory action.

Base camps, check-posts set up as part of the drive

As companies have laid off tens of millions, lives have been upended across the country.

China said Friday it supports a World Health Organization-led review into the global response to the coronavirus outbreak, but only “after the pandem

The coronavirus' constant mutation is unlikely to have changes its potency or its contagiousness, disease experts say, despite recent research sugge

Leaders urge the world to unite in fight against virus

This is the fourth consignment

Vice-Premier Liu He speaks to USTR Lighthizer, Mnuchin

‘His contact with Russian envoy was entirely appropriate’

The trip comes as President Donald Trump’s administration gives its blessing to Netanyahu’s plans to annex much of the occupied West Bank

Mr. Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus following a review by ministers of the current measures

The United States recorded 1,635 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 77,178, according to the latest real-time tally Frida

The move is likely to benefit a large number of Indian nurses and doctors, who are either on H-1B or J2 visas.

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The company, which entered Indian market last year with 10 models, expanded its product range to 12 models with the launch of Thunderbird LT.

Triumph launched its 1,700-cc cruiser bike Thunderbird LT in India, priced at Rs 15.75 lakh in Delhi before local taxes. This is their 13th model.

The board of directors of the company will meet at a 15th century heritage villa in the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany.

Gusto will be first launched in the northern and western markets of India and Nepal on Sept 29, followed by South Asia, Central America and Africa over few months.

The JV, which is expected to start production by the second quarter of 2015, would utilise Lohia Auto's Kashipur facility in Uttarakhand to manufacture new products.

The company is known for innovative features such as keyless alarm system and blind spot mirror system. Its commuter models include 150cc Razor, and 125cc and 150cc Falcon, among others.

Mahindra & Mahindra, which is yet to make a mark in the two-wheeler space, today launched a new 110-cc scooter 'Gusto'.

“Sri Lanka has been a very big market for us. In recent times, we have seen some large volumes out of that market,” Munjal told ET on Monday.

The Mahindra Group has invested about Rs 450-500 crore into their two-wheeler business to fund a turnaround plan despite some investors being sceptical of the company’s move.

This takes HMSI's year-to-date sales (domestic and exports) growth at 13 per cent, while for the industry this is only 5 per cent, HMSI said in a statement.

It further added that with improvement in the currency situation and in the consumer sentiment, its volumes are gradually picking up.

HMSI’s commuter bike Shine sold 1,00,824 units of CB Shine in the month, making it the fourth-largest-selling two-wheeler vehicle.

Priced around Rs 500, the device has demonstrated a near-100 per cent accuracy in detecting the virus in a short span of 90 minutes, the statement said quoting an ICMR report.

This pandemic could act as a starting point for the re-orientation of the primary and district health care systems of Indian states to keep the infections at a manageable level. As India looks to flatten its curve, its state governments need to remember that it cannot move ahead by leaving the Covid-19 vulnerable population behind.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), an arm of the Jal Shakti Ministry that deal with the rejuvenation programme for the river, had received a number of proposals, including from people and NGOs working on Ganga, to undertake clinical studies for treatment of coronavirus patients with the water, officials said.

New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI) As per the modeling data and the way India's COVID-19 cases are increasing, it is likely that peak can come in June and July, said AIIMS-Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Thursday.

"Indian Council of Medical Research has set a target of carrying out around 1 lakh tests across the country per day. For this crucial work, India Post with its vast network of 1,56,000 post offices has once again turned into a COVID warrior," the statement said.

The ministry asserted that if dos and don'ts are followed, the peak in number of COVID-19 cases can be avoided.

The government will provide doctors with a checklist to follow regarding treatment. We will also be applying to ICMR to seek permission to conduct lung biopsies after the death of patients and for clinical autopsies. This will help in providing critical patients with more effective care and bring down mortality rates, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey said.

The bacille Calmette-Gurin (BCG) vaccine has a documented protective effect against meningitis and disseminated TB in children, according to the World Health Organisation. It is part of the mandatory childhood immunization programme in many countries including India.

These are South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA) in Coimbatore, DRDO-INMAS in New Delhi, Heavy Vehicle Factory in Chennai, Small Arms Factory in Kanpur, Ordnance Factory in Kanpur, Ordnance Factory in Muradnagar, Ordnance Factory in Ambernath, and Metal & Steel Factory in Ishapore, West Bengal.

Though hospitals have resorted to e-consultations, the increased burden to create capacity to deal with the Covid-19 situation has resulted in huge losses.

Resident doctors, MBBS students and those serving their bond are at the frontline in the fight against Covid-19 in the city as senior clinicians stay away from their duty, leaving the young team of medical professionals firefighting the crisis on their own.

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