State is likely to procure a genome sequencer machine soon to detect and study new variants of the novel coronavirus amid the growing fear of Delta Plus variant and new mutated variants of concern that may pose higher risk than those strains that have already affected people in Jharkhand.

The Health Minister recently asked the RIMS administration to work on starting a department of genome studies in the premiere state-run hospital. Gupta, during a meeting earlier this week, said that genome sequencing was an important part of the states fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the will also help in combatting diseases caused by viruses in future.

Jharkhand had sent a proposal for procurement of a genome sequencer machine to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare back in March. However, the proposal was not approved for several months and the state was asked to send RT-PCR samples of Covid patients to the Institute of Live Sciences (ILS) in Bhubaneshwar for genome sequencing.