Odisha Seeks Monkeypox Testing Kits From Centre

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government, which is on alert over monkeypox and has already directed hospitals and health facilities in the state to stay prepared, has urged the Centre to provide testing kits to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) in Bhubaneswar.

State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Tuesday wrote to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in this regard.

In the letter, Das said that the Regional Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at RMRC Bhubaneswar should be provided with the requisite kits for laboratory testing of monkeypox.

“It is imperative to ensure laboratory preparedness for detection of the pathogen in all states. The health department of Odisha has already taken proactive steps and instructed medical colleges and district-level health centres for screening of monkeypox based on clinical features and patient history,” he wrote.

Odisha has not reported any case yet.

“The Centre has notified 15 places in the country for monkeypox testing. In Odisha, it can be done at RMRC but for that we need to get permission from the Centre. If kits are provided, monkeypox samples can be tested in Bhubaneswar,” Das had said earlier after a high-level meeting on monkeypox on July 30.

India has so far reported eight confirmed cases and one death.