Presidency University sets up training centre for aspiring diagnostic lab technicians

kolkata: the presidency university has set up a training centre for aspiring diagnostic lab technicians to help them become experts in detecting viruses of infectious diseases.     the centre will be of much help in producing skilled laboratory technicians required in the current covid-19 crisis as well as in future, vice-chancellor anuradha lohia told on wednesday.    the training will take place at the presidency university's new campus in new town on the eastern fringes of the city.     abhik saha, professor of life science of the premier institution, said, the centre of virology and infectious diseases will impart the course of viral detection and molecular diagnostics to students for 11 weeks.     "to our knowledge, it is the first such training centre in the eastern region," he said.  the training will start soon.    "due to increased testing for covid-19 and the rise in the number of infected people, more medical facilities are procuring real time-pcr detection tools and there is a scarcity of technicians who can use them properly. the training centre will fill up that void," he said.     the students will be taught how to diagnose and analyse dengue and covid-19, both rna viruses, as well as other contagions, detect pathogens.    they will also learn basics like proper use of ppe and disposal of bio-medical waste among other things.     "we will take 10 students - either bsc qualified or final year - after screening. after they pass out, we will be enrolling another batch of 10. the process will continue," saha said.