Punjab sets up 4 new labs for free dengue testing: Minister

Chandigarh, May 16 (PTI) The Punjab government on Sunday set up four new laboratories to test dengue free of cost in the state.

The laboratories were set up on the occasion of the National Dengue Day at four sub-divisional hospitals in Kharar, Rajpura, Abohar and Jagraon, an official statement said.

The laboratories were dedicated to the state by Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu in a brief function after which he said Punjab now has 39 laboratories for free testing of dengue and chikungunya.

The state has already procured testing kits for all the laboratories and all labs are testing for dengue, a government statement said, quoting Sidhu.

The health minister appealed to the people should cooperate in preventing dengue during the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19 as the transmission season for dengue too has started in the state.

He appealed to the people not to let water accumulate in any container like water coolers, bottles, drums, refrigerators trays, tyres flower pots etc, pointing out that dengue mosquitoes breed in clean water. PTI VSD RAX RAX