India Post provides Covid-19 test kits from regional ICMR depots to test laboratories nationwide including remote areas

Ministry of Communications

India Post delivers Covid-19 testing kits from ICMR regional depots to testing labs across the country including remote areas

08 MAY 2020

India Post has entered into a tie up with ICMR for delivery of its Covid-19 testing Kits from its 16 regional depots to the 200 additional labs designated for Covid-19 Testing across the length and breadth of the country. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has set a target of carrying out around 1 lakh tests across the country per day. For this crucial work, India Post with its vast network of 1,56,000 post offices has once again geared up for performing as a strong COVID warrior. India Post has delivered consignments to remote areas such as Imphal, Aizawl apart from Dungarpur, Churu, Jhalawar, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota and other places.
Union Minister of Communications, E & IT and Law and Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad appreciated the renewed commitment and partnership between ICMR and Department of Posts. He said that India Post has been delivering mails, medicines, financial assistance at doorsteps and even distributing food and ration to needy during lockdown. He further acknowledged that postmen of India Posts Department have risen to the occasion and stood shoulder to shoulder with the nation during these challenging times.

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The Government is taking all measures to ensure timely delivery of kits. Special arrangements has been made by India Post with ICMR for kits being delivered from 16 depots (located in 14 postal Circles/ States), to 200 labs located across the country even in remote areas such as Shivamogga, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, Tirupati, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Leh, Jammu, Udhampur, Jhalawar, Bhavnagar Sholapur , Darbhanga, Rishikesh, Faridkot to mention a few. These kits are being delivered packed in dry ice.

The India Post staff is working round the clock to ensure timely deliveries. Rising to the call of duty, deliveries are being made even at 11:30 pm. India Post is committed to ensure that the delivery of kits is made as per requirements even in far flung areas like Zoram Medical College , Mizoram.
Nodal officers have been identified from both the agencies (DoP & ICMR ) for each regional depot to ensure smooth operations . The Circles have made necessary arrangements with timelines for the priority transportation of the consignments to the concerned laboratories either as per the existing system or new arrangements depending on the requirement and have communicated the same to the ICMR nodal officers.

Each booking circle has opened a BNPL (Book Now Pay Later) account of Speed Post with the concerned Depot to make the arrangement hassle free for the agency. The delivery information is shared with the labs on daily basis through whatsapp. A Google spreadsheet has been shared with all nodal officers to update the details of booking and delivery of the testing kits to flag any operational glitches.

Union Minister of Communications, E & IT and Law and Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad called upon the Department to continue with its good work and leave no stone unturned in making timely delivery of medicines, testing kits and other medical equipments. He asked the Department to galvanise its vast network and leave no gaps in delivery of essential items.

16 Depots of ICMR are NIMR, New Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, KGMU Lucknow, RMRI Patna, NIRNCD Jodhpur, NIOH Ahmedabad, NIREH Bhopal, NICED Kolkata, NIV Pune, NIV field unit Bangalore, NIN Hyderabad, NIE Chennai, RMRC Dibrugarh, RMRC Bhubaneswar, NIRRH Mumbai, GMC Guwahati.

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