Dr. Panjwani center to perform 800 corona test daily.

KARACHI -- "Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi will perform 800 coronavirus test daily, as Sindh Government approved RS.58.28 millions for completion of Biosafety Level - III (BSL-III) laboratory at the PCMD's National Institute of Virology (PCMD).

The BSL-III facility, which is currently at the final stages of construction, would be ready in the end of this April to test coronavirus in massive numbers. After the opening of this facility, the diagnostic capacity of Covid-19 infection has immensely been widened in the province."

Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi expressed these views on Saturday while speaking at the meeting of virology experts held at the National Institute of Virology.

Prof. Iqbal Choudhary thanked to CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho for their kind support and trust shown to Dr. Panjwani Center that comes under the ICCBS, saying that the laboratory was designed as per international standards set by and WHO (Guidelines on Establishment of Virology Laboratory in Developing Countries). This laboratory enables us to conduct experiments involving live viruses, anti-viral screening activities of several compounds and testing vaccine candidates for their immune reactivity, he added.

He also praised the efforts of Karachi University's Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Mehmood Iraqi that he made for the success of this project.

He mentioned that the major challenge in Pakistan was very limited diagnostic capabilities, adding that the WHO has declared the timely...