Srinagar, Apr 16 (IANS): The authorities in Kashmir on Thursday denied that there has been any diversion of testing kits from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu thereby adversely affecting the ongoing COVID-19 testing process here.

News reports saying that testing kits had been diverted to Jammu from the Kashmir were termed as 'baseless' by the concerned authorities.

Doctor Saima Rashid, principal of government medical college (GMC) Srinagar, told IANS, "There is no truth in news reports those said that the testing kits consignment has been diverted from here to Jammu.

"The consignment of testing kits was not diverted at all. It was delivered in Jammu and the next day we received it here.

"Our COVID testing process is going on and there is no hiccup in this because of any shortage in the testing kits.

"Yesterday at the GMC Srinagar, we carried out 200 tests. Day before, we carried out 240 tests".

Saima also said at present there were only two testing centres in the valley, GMC Srinagar and Sher-e-Kashmir institute of medical sciences (SKIMS) Srinagar.

She said the third testing centre in Kashmir is likely to be started Friday at the Jhelum Valley Medical College (JVC), Bemina in Srinagar.

Doctors at the SKIMS denied reports that there has been any diversion of testing kits adding that there was no let up in the testing process at the hospital.

"We are planning to carry out 1,000 tests a day as we go on increasing the number of tests carried out daily at the hospital", doctors at SKIMS told IANS.

Speaking about the sample collection across Kashmir,Sameer Mattoo, Director Health Services, Kashmir, told IANS, "We are aggressively carrying out sample collection across the valley. We have designated sample collection centres across and in addition, we have mobile sample collection teams."

He denied reports that sample collection across Kashmir had been affected because of shortage of testing kits at the two designated testing hospitals.