DHARAN: With the operation of a throat swab test lab at the BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences (BPKIHS), collection of samples of suspected coronavirus patients in different districts has commenced in Dharan.

The lab was brought into operation from yesterday, and according to the institute, testing of samples is likely to start from today itself.

“We’re now getting samples from different districts and could start testing from this evening itself once we’ve 10 to 12 samples to test,” said the institute’s Microbiology Department chief Prof Dr Basudha Khanal.

we’ve collected some samples locally, 5 samples from Mechi, Morang, Dhankuta and Tehrathum will reach us by the evening. “Though we’d planned to start testing earlier today, the same couldn’t happen as we couldn’t get the samples on time due to the lockdown,” Dr Khanal explained.

According to Dr Khanal, in the first phase, we will send 10 samples tested in the laboratory to Hong Kong to confirm the authenticity of test results.

Province-1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai and Social Development Minister Jivan Ghimire had inaugurated the laboratory yesterday.