Authorities at the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital that has been selected as a new corona testing centre in the state are yet to commence testing of swab samples of patients who are in isolation in different government-run health establishments of north Bengal and in Sikkim.

On Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while speaking to newspersons in Calcutta, said that testing facility would start in NBMCH – the sole such institution in north Bengal. However, health officials posted in Darjeeling district – NBMCH is on outskirts of Siliguri – and those in the administration in other districts opined that the testing is likely to commence on Monday – that is – after another two days.

“We are starting the testing facility in NBMCH. So far, samples from north Bengal were sent to Calcutta but now, those can be tested there only,” said Mamata.

The testing, NBMCH sources said, would be conducted at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) of the hospital. Recently, the hospital has received 200 kits to conduct the tests.

Officials at NBMCH were tight lipped. However, sources revealed that it is due to certain “technical reasons” that the testing of samples has not yet started.

Pralay Acharya, the chief medical officer of health of Darjeeling, also dodged a direct reply.

“The facility will start soon. Once it is operational, we would be informed. So far, no information has reached to us,” he said.

Pawan Kadyan, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar, however, mentioned that they have information that the facility would start from Monday. “There is good news. The Covid 19 testing facility will commence in NBMCH on Monday,” he said.

On March 24, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had approved the NBMCH as a testing centre.