DW BUREAU / chandigarh In order to effectively handle the COVID-19 challenge, Punjab has taken a lead in using innovative methods for early detection and testing.  Hence, the state government has procured 15 more TruNaat machines for testing so that patients are detected, tested and isolated early to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, total 30 machines are functional in Govt. Hospitals. Disclosing this here today, Health amd Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Singh Sidhu said guidelines have already been issued to all the Government Health facilities in the state for TruNaat testing. Suspected patients amongst COVID- 19 warriors like healthcare workers/doctors/Police/administrative officials, Pregnant Women, SARI patients, and emergency surgery patients shall be prioritized for TruNaat testing in the state. The Minister said that State had 15, two-channel machines) and  15, four-channel new machines. These are operational and tests are being conducted daily. The turnaround time for results gets reduced in these machines.  For instance, in 4 channel machines, 4 tests can be done at a time and 4 results can be retrieved in 1.5 hours. The district Amritsar, SAS Nagar and Jalandhar have been allocated 2 machines each, 3 in Ludhiana while the other districts have been given 1 machine each in the government hospital adding the he said that one machine each has been given to three government medical colleges also.Sidhu said that as on 28 July 2020, around 4167 TruNaat tests have been conducted in the state, out of which 264 have been found positive. Patients admitted in a Private Nursing Home/Hospital, who require urgent testing, can also be referred to Government Hospitals for TruNaat testing at the cost of 1500 per test. So far, 119 samples from private facilities have been tested using TruNaat. Punjab on Wednesday reported a record 25 COVID-19 deaths on a single day and 568 coronavirus positive cases, taking the infection tally in the state to 14,946. Ten deaths were reported from Jalandhar, nine from Ludhiana, three from Amritsar, two from Gurdaspur and one from Patiala, the state's daily medical bulletin said on Wednesday. With this, the death toll jumped to 361 in the state, as per the bulletin. Ninety-five cases were found in Ludhiana, followed by 86 in Patiala, 77 in Amritsar, 45 in Jalandhar, 35 each in Gurdaspur and Barnala, 31 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali, 30 in Sangrur, 21 in Tarn Taran, 15 in Pathankot, 13 in Moga, 11 in Rupnagar, nine each in Faridkot and Fazilka, seven each in Kapurthala and Muktsar, five in SBS Nagar, four in Ferozepur. (editor@dailyworld.in)