Will give more strength to fight Coronavirus: PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: India is in a much better position than other countries in the fight against COVID-19 as a result of "right decisions taken at the right time", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, asserting that the country has expanded its health infrastructure at a rapid pace.

Speaking after virtually launching COVID-19 testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata, Modi said that in the fight against coronavirus, India has come to a point where it does not lack in awareness, its scientific data is expanding and resources are also increasing.

The three high throughput testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR institutions - National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research in Noida, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata.

Modi said, ''In the big fight against coronavirus, it was important that we establish corona specific health infrastructure. This is the reason why the Centre announced a Rs 15,000 crore package way back.''

Modi also pointed to the rapid pace of health infrastructure development, from testing labs, personal protection equipment to COVID facilities. "In January, where we had only one centre for COVID-19 testing, now there are about 1,300 labs operating in the country," he said. The new testing facilities will give West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh more strength to fight COVID-19, Modi said.

These labs will also reduce turnaround time and exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials. The labs are enabled to test diseases other than COVID-19 as well, and post the pandemic, will be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, mycobacterium tuberculosis, cytomegalo virus, chlamydia, neisseria and dengue.