Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today dedicated the first COVID-19 sample collection mobile Lab of the country namely "Mobile BSL3 VRDL Lab" to the nation through video conference from New Delhi.

This Lab has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence in collaboration with ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar (Hyderabad) with due permission of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Govt. of Telangana.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appreciated the efforts of DRDO and ESIC in setting up of this Bio-Safety Level 2 and Level 3 lab in a record time of 15 days which usually takes about six months time.

He further said this testing facility can process more than 1,000 samples in a day and will enhance country’s capabilities in fighting COVID19.

While addressing on the occasion, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Labour Minister, complimented DRDO and ESIC for developing the mobile testing lab in a very short time. He further said that it will be very important in our fight against CORONA Virus. Gangwar commended the efforts being made by ESIC, an organization under his Ministry, to combat COVID-19.

Addressing the function, G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Affairs, complemented the team scientists of DRDO and doctors of ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad for developing the facility.

The Lab has been developed within a record time of 2 weeks, whereas it would normally take about 6 months.



COVID-19 testing centre at ESIC Medical & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad will utilize this new innovative mobile diagnostic and research facility called “Mobile BSL-3 VRDL Lab”. It will be first of its kind facility in the country for COVID-19 and other related testing and research purposes.

The design of Mobile BSL-3 VRDL Lab has been developed by DRDO scientists whereas the specification of the lab has been given by ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. The project has been executed and constructed by three industry partners of DRDO.

Other innovative technologies developed by DRDO and shared with ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad comprises of COVSACK unit for sample collection, aerosol boxes and aerosolized sanitizer dispenser, snorkel face masks and face shields as reusable PPE N-95 equivalent, UV-C disinfection chamber in the fight against Covid-19 for use by the hospital.

ESIC Medical College and hospital, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad is a 500 bedded hospital. In addition to that 150 beds are also available in the hospital for super-specialty treatment like oncology, nephrology, neurosurgery, cardiology, pediatric surgery etc. so that ESI beneficiaries get the best of treatment under one roof.

Several other measures taken by ESIC to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this crisis situation, 13 ESIC Hospitals with 1861 Isolation Beds across India have been converted into Dedicated COVID-19 Hospitals. In addition to the above Hospitals, around 1011 Isolation Beds have been made available in most of the remaining ESIC Hospitals across the country.

Further, a total of 555 ICU/HDU Beds with 197 Ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals. Quarantine facility (total 1254 Beds) has been made functional in 04 ESIC Hospitals at Alwar (Rajasthan), Bihta, Patna (Bihar), Gulbarga (Karnataka) and Korba (Chhattisgarh). Besides, COVID-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana).

