Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana, greeting the people of Mizoram on 'World Health Day 2020', announced that the newly installed COVID-19 Testing Laboratory at the Zoram Medical College will start functioning from today by conducting the first tests on the 14-member team of  doctors, nurses and healthcare workers looking after the lone Covid-19 patient in the state. 

As stated by the Health Minsiter, samples from the nasopharyngeal swab tests of the 14 medical persons, as well as one low risk patient in the hospital, have been taken and their results will be known tonight itself in the Lab. The test results, as soon as they are known, will be announced through the I&PR Department. The Minister, however, reiterated that taking test swabs of the medical team does not imply any suspiscion of them carrying the disease. He assured the people that the lone Covid-19 patient is being given the best care possible and showing good progress. He also said that all other tests taken from Mizoram have turned out negative.

Health Minister Dr.R.Lalthangliana said that due to the current lockdown situation,  there could be no official inauguration of the COVID-19 Testing Laboratory; rather, as requested, church leaders of the joint churches' forum called 'Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitu Committee' had blessed the occasion and the Lab with prayers from their homes before the Lab doors were opened for conducting the first tests. The Minister requested the people of Mizoram to continue praying for the quick recovery of the sole positive patient and for the medical teams across the state dedicated to fight the pandemic COVID-19.

The Health Minister also said that feom now onwards, samples need not be sent to Silchar for testing anymore and that the new Test Lab in Mizoram had already procured 1000 testing kits from Dibrugarh. With new positive cases being identified recently in neighbouring states of Assam and Tripura, the Mizoram Government has also stepped up its vigil along the state's borders, he added.

Health Minsiter Dr.R.Lalthangliana also thanked the Aizawl Civil Hospital and private hospitals for their cooperation and making room to accomodate patients who had to be evacuated from the Zoram Medical College after it was earmarked solely for handling COVID-19 cases. The State Health Minister also expressed his gratitude towards the Core Committee, whose prompt decision and action made quick installment of the much-needed Testing Lab at ZMC. He also thanked the previous government for all the necessary groundwork it had done in making it possible to establish the Zoram Medical College in the state. 

The Health Minister said it was very befitting that on World Health Day, Mizoram would start with its first COVID-19 Testing Lab, and thanked all the medical persons at the ZMC and across the state, who were giving their best to abate the spread of COVID-19 in Mizoram.