The Ramakrishna Mission will start a facility for conducting the RT-PCR test at the BEd College in Saradapith adjoining Belur Math in a few days.

“The centre will be open to all who want to tested,” said Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

“This will be in addition to our efforts aimed at spreading awareness about the pandemic in these difficult times and come to their help in whatever way we can.”

The Ramakrishna Mission has decided to start a safe home for 50 Covid patients at the Ramakrishna Mission Shilpamandira, a polytechnic college run by the order, adjacent to Belur Math.

The safe home will start in early June and the testing facility will begin by next week, senior monks said.

The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission has set up dedicated Covid-19 beds in hospitals under its wing in Calcutta, Kankhal, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi and Vrindavan, the Math said in a release.

“Many of our hostel buildings and guest houses have been converted to temporary Covid care centres or safe homes,” said Swami Suvirananda. “Our centres at Dehradun, Itanagar and Mumbai are functioning as designated Covid vaccination and diagnostic centres.”

Senior monks of the order said spiritual counselling through online classes is being provided through many centres and relief services were also being provided in several countries including Bangladesh and South Africa.