Coronavirus Tests are Now Free for All Indians – Share the total list of Authorized Testing Centers
Updated: Mar 20
Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash
Info Dated: 17/03/2020
Health Ministry has stated that the first and second confirmatory tests for COVID-19 will be free for all the Indian residents. Coronavirus has been marked a pandemic now, and the quantity of cases have increased.
Furthermore, the Government has likewise reported that 52 centers will be opened for testing of the infection nationwide.
Special Secretary, Ministry of Health, has affirmed that the first and second confirmatory tests for Covid-19 will be free for all the residents of India. He additionally said that the nation has enough competence with respect to this however just 10 percent of the capacity has been used every day up until this point.
However if you think you have symptoms or have made a trip to any nation where there have been coronavirus cases, for example, Italy or China, you should contact the govt helpline number: 011-2397 8046
The Health Ministry expresses, "The helpline administration will note down your contact information and get in touch with you with the testing protocols of COVID-19. If you qualify as a case for testing according to the protocols, you will be tested at a Government endorsed lab only."
Complete List of Testing Sites In India:
As of now there are about 52 sites set up for testing the Coronavirus across India. Here’s a complete list of the sites as below:
Andhra Pradesh:
Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati
Contact number – +91-8772287777
Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Contact number – +91- 89127 12258
Government Medical College, Anantapur, AP
Contact number – +91 85542 49115
Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
Regional Medical Research Centre, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar
Contact number – 03192 251158/59
Assam:
Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati
Contact number – 03612132751
Regional Medical Research Center,
Dibrugarh Contact number – 03732381494
Bihar:
Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna
Contact number – 06122636651
Chandigarh: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh
Contact number – 01722747585
Chhattisgarh:
All India Institute Medical Sciences,
Raipur
Contact number – 07712572240
Delhi-NCR:
All India Institute Medical Sciences, Delhi
Contact number – 01126588500
National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi
Contact number – 01123913148
Gujarat
BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
Contact number – 07922680074
M.P.Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar
Contact number – 02882553515
Haryana
Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Inst. of Med. Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana
Contact number – 01262211307
BPS Govt Medical College, Sonipat
Contact number – 01263 283 025
Himachal Pradesh
Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Contact number – 01772654713
Dr.Rajendra Prasad Govt. Med. College, Kangra, Tanda, HP
Contact number – 01892287187
Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar
Contact number – 01942401013
Government Medical College, Jammu
Contact number – 01912584247
MGM Medical College, Jamshedpur
Contact number – 06572360859
Karnataka
Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore
Contact number – 08026700810
National Institute of Virology Field Unit Bangalore
Contact number – 08026654084
Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore
Contact number – 08212520512
Hassan Inst. of Med. Sciences, Hassan, Karnataka
Contact number – 08172231699
Shimoga Inst. of Med. Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka
Contact number – 08182229933
Kerala
National Institute of Virology Field Unit, Kerala
Contact number – 04772970004
Govt. Medical College, Thriuvananthapuram, Kerala
Contact number – 04712528300
Govt. Medical College, Kozhikhode, Kerala
Contact number – 04952350216
Madhya Pradesh
All India Institute Medical Sciences, Bhopal
Contact number – 07552672322
National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Jabalpur
Contact number – 07612370800
Meghalaya
NEIGRIHMS of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya
Contact number – 03642538013
Maharashtra
Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur
Contact number – 07122725423
Kasturrba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mumbai
Contact number – 022300432333
Manipur
J N Inst. of Med. Sciences Hospital, Imphal?East, Manipur
Contact number – 03852443144
Odisha
Regional Medical Research Center, Bhubaneswar
Contact number – 06742301322
Puducherry
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry
Contact number – 04132271301
Punjab
Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab
Contact number – 01752212018
Government Medical College, Amritsar
Contact number – 01832426918
Rajasthan
Sawai Man Singh, Jaipur
Contact number – 01412744283
Dr. S.N Medical College, Jodhpur
Contact number – 02912434374
Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar, Rajasthan
Contact number- 07432233388
SP Med. College, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Contact number – 01512220115
Tamil Nadu
King’s Institute of Preventive Medicine & Research, Chennai
Contact number – 04422501520
Government Medical College, Theni
Contact number – 04546244502
Tripura
Government Medical College, Agartala
Contact number – 03812357130
Telangana
Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad
Contact number – 04027505566
Uttar Pradesh
King’s George Medical University, Lucknow
Contact number- 05222257540
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Contact number – 05422367568
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh
Contact number – 05712721165
Uttarakhand
Government Medical College, Haldwani
Contact number – 05946282824
West Bengal
National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata
Contact number – 03323633373
IPGMER, Kolkata
Contact number – 03322041101
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Other Necessary and important info on Covd-19/ Coronavirus
Guidelines for home quarantine
(info source Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India (at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesforhomequarantine.pdf)
Detection of a travel related/unrelated suspect case of novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID19) will be followed by rapid isolation of such cases in designated health facilities and line listing of all contacts of such cases. Home quarantine is applicable to all such contacts of a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19.
This intervention will be limited to the initial phase of India reporting only (i) travel related cases and (ii) focal clusters arising from a travel related/unrelated case where cluster containment strategy is adopted (iii) Persons coming from COVID-19 affected areas where local and community transmission is evident.
Definition of contact
A contact is defined as a healthy person that has been in such association with an infected person or a contaminated environment as to have exposed and is therefore at a higher risk of developing disease.
A contact in the context of COVID-19 is:
A person living in the same household as a COVID-19 case;
A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case or his/her infectious secretions without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or with a possible breach of PPE
A person who was in a closed environment or had face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within1metre including air travel;
The epidemiological link may have occurred within a 14‐day period before the onset of illness in the case under consideration.
Instructions for contacts being home quarantined
The home quarantined person should:
Stay in a well-ventilated single-room preferably with an attached/separate toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, it’s advisable to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between the two.
Needs to stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children and persons with co-morbidities within the household.
Restrict his/her movement within the house.
Under no circumstances attend any social/religious gathering e.g. wedding, condolences, etc.
He should also follow the under mentioned public health measures at all times:
Wash hand as often thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home.
Wear a surgical mask at all the time. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and is posed off. Disposable masks are never to be reused.
Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial.
Used mask should be considered as potentially infected.
If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), he/she should immediately inform the nearest health centre or call 011-23978046.
Instructions for the family members of persons being home quarantined
Only an assigned family member should be tasked with taking care of the such person
Avoid shaking the soiled linen or direct contact with skin
Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen
Wash hands after removing gloves
Visitors should not be allowed
In case the person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his close contacts will be home quarantined (for 14 days) and followed up for an additional 14days or till the report of such case turns out negative on lab testing
Environmental sanitation
a) Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person’s room (e.g. bed frames, tables etc.) daily with 1%Sodium Hypochlorite Solution.
b) Clean and disinfect toilet surfaces daily with regular household bleach solution/phenolic disinfectants
c) Clean the clothes and other linen used by the person separately using common household detergent and dry.
Duration of home quarantine
a) The home quarantine period is for 14 days from contact with a confirmed case or earlier if a suspect case (of whom the index person is a contact) turns out negative on laboratory testing
Guidelines on use of masks by public
(info source Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India (at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Useofmaskbypublic.pdf)
1. Introduction
A new disease named novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in early December 2019 in China and has now spread to over 90 countries. As on 9th March 2020, India has reported 42 cases mostly among those who had travelled from affected countries. It causes a minor illness in majority of patients with symptoms of fever and or cough. A small proportion of such persons may progress to severe disease with difficulty in breathing.
It is spread by an infected person with COVID coughing and the droplets from his cough infecting others in close vicinity (less than 1 metre).
Any such new disease invariably related to cough leads to suggestions from various quarters, especially in social media, to use mask by general public to prevent the disease.
2. Purpose of this document
The purpose of this document is to give correct evidence based information to general public on use of mask.
3. Medical masks
Medical masks of different size and shapes are available in the market. The common ones are flat pleated masks of woven fabric which covers the nose and mouth and affixed behind the head with straps/ elastic fasteners. There are also conical or duck bill shaped masks with valves (or without valves) that fit in the contour of face over the nose and mouth, but are costlier.
4. Use of masks by general public
4.1. Persons having no symptoms are not to use mask
Medical masks should not be used by healthy persons who are not having any symptoms because it create a false sense of security that can lead to neglecting other essential measures such as washing of hands.
Further, there is no scientific evidence to show health benefit of using masks for non-sick persons in the community. In fact erroneous use of masks or continuous use of a disposable mask for longer than 6 hours or repeated use of same mask may actually increase risk of getting an infection. It also incurs unnecessary cost.
In such situation, more effective steps are:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water for 40 seconds. An alcohol based hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol must be used for 20 seconds. If hands are dirty or soiled, do not use alcohol based hand sanitizer, but wash hands preferably with soap and water.
While coughing or sneezing cover nose and mouth with handkerchief, paper tissue. If handkerchief or tissue paper is not available cough into the flexed elbow. Dispose of tissue immediately after use and wash hands.
Refrain from touching face, mouth, nose and eyes.
Stay at least a metre away from those coughing or sneezing.
Monitor your body temperature.
4.2. When and who should use medical masks (apart from health care worker).
4.2.1. When a person develops cough or fever.
Use of medical three layer masks when ill, will prevent your infection from spreading to others. However you also need to wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading infection to others.
4.2.2. While visiting a healthcare facility.
4.2.3. When you are caring for an ill person.
4.2.4. Close family contacts of such suspect/confirmed cases undergoing home care should also use Triple layer medical mask.
4.3. Duration for which a medical mask will remain effective
A medical mask, if properly worn, will be effective for 8 hours. If it gets wet in between, it needs to be changed immediately.
4.4. Correct procedure of wearing triple layer mask
While wearing a medical mask, the steps given below needs to be followed. If you do not follow them, you may get infected from the mask itself. These steps are:
Unfold the pleats; make sure that they are facing down.
Place over nose, mouth and chin.
Fit flexible nose piece (a metallic strip that can easily be located) over nosebridge.
Secure with tie strings (upper string to be tied on top of head above the ears –lower string at the back of the neck.)
Ensure there are no gaps on either side of the mask, adjust to fit.
While in use, avoid touching the mask.
Do not let the mask hanging from the neck.
Change the mask after six hours or as soon as they become wet.
Disposable masks are never to be reused and should be disposed off.
While removing the mask great care must be taken not to touch the potentially contaminated outer surface of the mask
To remove mask first untie the string below and then the string above and
handle the mask using the upper strings.
4.5. Disposal of used masks
Used mask should be considered as potentially infected. Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial.
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Article Sources Disclaimer
We require using primary sources to support our writing. These include white papers, government data, news reporting, learning and discussions with industry experts, online research. Hence the data and information herein are collected from different mediums, and we tried to provide the best of the information, however please verify it before making an action, as we shall not be liable for any discrepancies what so ever.
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