New Town starts rapid antigen testing centre

Kolkata: New Town on Tuesday started its own Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) centre at the Utility Building in the city's Action Area III to help the residents have easy and fast access to rapid antigen testing for Covid.

The chief guest at the inauguration ceremony was Chaitali Chakraborty, District Magistrate, North 24-Parganas.

The centre was inaugurated by HIDCO Chairman, Debashis Sen. Dr Archita Saha has been entrusted with the responsibility of the nodal medical officer for the RAT centre.

The testing kits have been provided by the heath department of the Government of West Bengal.

Tagged to the School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, the RAT Centre is staffed by 2 laboratory technicians and 2 data entry operators.

The lab technicians have been trained at Bidhannagar SD Hospital, while the data entry operators, who have been deputed at the facility byw HIDCO and NKDA, were imparted online training for their roles.

The RAT centre will be open from 10.30 am to 2 pm daily.

Free testing will be done for all, with priority on shopkeepers, toto drivers, auto

drivers, domestic helps and conservancy staff.