Kathmandu: A high-tech lab unit has been inaugurated at the National Public Health Laboratory in Nepal, aiming to improve the country’s capacity for secure sample testing during the spread of infectious diseases and epidemics. Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel emphasized that the establishment of this unit is part of a broader strategy to make Nepal self-reliant in laboratory testing.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the newly inaugurated lab unit is the first of its kind in the country and was completed with an investment of approximately Rs 40 million. Dr. Ranjan Bhatta, Director of the laboratory, stated that the unit is a significant step towards enhancing the nation’s testing capabilities.
The World Health Organization has also contributed to this initiative by donating kits necessary for testing 52 priority diseases in Nepal. Dr. Bhatta mentioned that these kits will be distributed to provincial and district-level hospitals, thereby facilitating the testing of various diseases and ailments across the country.