Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday approved Rs 20 crore for the setting up of the RT-PCR testing laboratory in 16 districts in order to boost COVID-19 testing in Odisha, .
The RT-PCR laboratories will be set up in the district headquarters of Bhadrak, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Sonepur, Kandhamal, Sundargarh, Rayagada and Bargarh.
Sources said the laboratories will be open every day and each will be manned by a microbiologist and three lab technicians.
The testing laboratory will help contain the spread of the virus and early treatment of people, the sources added.
