Dr. Panjwani center to perform 800 COVID-19 tests daily

KARACHI: Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi will perform 800 coronavirus tests daily, as Sindh Government approved Rs 58.28 millions for completion of Biosafety Level-III (BSL-III) laboratory at the PCMD’s National Institute of Virology (PCMD).

The BSL-III facility, which is currently at the final stages of construction, would be ready in the end of this month to test coronavirus in massive numbers.

After the opening of this facility, the diagnostic capacity of COVID-19 infection will immensely be widened in the province.

Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary expressed these views on Saturday while speaking at the meeting of virology experts held at the National Institute of Virology.

Iqbal Choudhary thanked CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho for their kind support and trust shown to Dr. Panjwani Center that comes under the ICCBS.

He said that the laboratory was designed as per international standards set by and WHO (Guidelines on Establishment of Virology Laboratory in Developing Countries).

This laboratory enables us to conduct experiments involving live viruses, anti-viral screening activities of several compounds and testing vaccine candidates for their immune reactivity, he added.

He also praised the efforts of Karachi University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Mehmood Iraqi that he made for the success of this project.

He mentioned that the major challenge in Pakistan was very limited diagnostic capabilities, adding that WHO has declared the timely diagnosis of the disease as  major step in stopping the spread of COVID-19, as undetected infected individuals are the biggest source of infecting others.

He pointed out that it was important to mention that the BSL-III facility could only start its working subject to the availability of kits. Sindh Government will provide Dr. Panjwani Center the validated kits from NDMA so that the virology center could start receiving and processing of samples from April 23, 2020.

Following current health challenges, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research and Sindh Government have decided to mutually work on this front, he said.

The National Institute of Virology owns various state of the art RT-PCR machines and trained personnel, he said, adding that PCRs (Polymerase Chain Reactions) are the sophisticated machines on which actual tests of COVID -19 are carried out.

Prof. Choudhary said, “We think it is an excellent example of a university based research center helping the national health care system at the time of national health emergency.”

He said that precaution was the only weapon to fight against the emerging threat of coronavirus. He said the National Institute of Virology, which works under the Dr. Panjwani Center, was working to produce quality researches and researchers who could play their due role in the areas of research and development in the country.