GTA Chairman asks Darjeeling MP to get approval for opening of COVID-19 testing lab fast

Darjeeling: "Till date the BJP MP of Darjeeling has written about 280 letters to different ministers and various ministries. I hope the letter dates 20-05-2020 with reference number Darj/GN/287 is not just another letter. I hope it's a letter that is actually for setting up a testing lab in the GTA region," stated Anit Thapa, Chairman, GTA in reaction to BJP MP Raju Bista's letter to the Prime Minister requesting more Covid-19 testing labs in North Bengal.

Bista who arrived in his constituency, Darjeeling, with domestic flight services resuming on May 28 wrote to the Prime Minister that he has come to know of thousands of samples awaiting testing at the lab in NBMCH. He expressed fear that owing to the spike in cases and the backlog in testing, would result in "exponential in COVID-19 numbers in North Bengal."

Bista claimed that in his letter he has requested for opening up more testing facilities in the district hospitals in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri Government Hospital and allow private facilities to test.

Reacting to this, Thapa stated "I am happy to know of this but I would like to request the MP to get an approval for a testing lab for Darjeeling district at the earliest, by next week. I would further like to raise the demand that the lab should specifically be in the GTA region."

The GTA Chairman further stated that the Government of India is the final authority on setting up such testing labs and supplying testing kits. "If the MP gets a nod for this from the Centre the GTA will vacate a building for setting up a testing up the lab," assured Thapa.

With thousands of migrant workers returning, the two labs in North Bengal located at Malda and Siliguri have been stretched to the maximum. Thousands of samples have piled up.