Jaipur, Jun 25 (IANS): The facility for Genome Sequencing has been started in the SMS Medical College here, thus making Rajasthan the first state to have its own Genome Sequencing lab.

This has been done on the directions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, said Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma Friday.

Sharma said that the facility of genome sequencing has been made available in the state to prevent the Covid-19 spread. Information about the new variants of the virus could be known with the technique of genome sequencing.

He said that the system of genome sequencing has been started at the SMS Medical College by spending Rs one crore.

Dr Sharma also said till now the samples from the state were being sent to the IGIB lab in Delhi set up for Rajasthan by Central Government's Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). As per the fixed limit, 10 samples per day, that is 300 samples in a month were sent, but their reports were not being received on time.

He said that the machine installed at the SMS Medical College has started functioning from June 15. The capacity of the machine is to check 20 samples per day and soon its capacity will be increased to check 80 samples per day. The report of the sample is received in 3-4 days.

Sharma said that till now genome sequencing of around 100 samples of Covid-19 has been done. As per the test report, Delta variant was found in around 90 per cent of the samples and covid-19 B 1.1 variant was found in the remaining 10 per cent of the samples.

He expressed confidence that effective monitoring on the changing variants of Covid-19 can be done with the availability of genome sequencing facility in the state.