<span style="color: #222222;">In the  Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo inaugurated State-of-Art Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT-PCR) facility at Government Medical College Srinagar today. The NAT-PCR facility aimed at ensuring safer quality blood transfusion is funded under National Health Mission in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Speaking on the occasion, Atal Dulloo said that with the implementation of Nobel Prize winning NAT-PCR technology, the Blood Transfusion safety in Jammu  and Kashmir will now be comparable to international standards. He further said that this facility shall help in early detection of transfusion transmission infections like HIV, Hepatits "B" & Hepatitis "C" Virus. He said that, NAT testing facility has been funded by National Health Mission and all the blood donations in the three major tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar viz. SMHS, Lal Ded & 'Bone and Joint' Hospital shall be screened at this facility.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Bhupinder Kumar, Mission Director NHM, J&K said that by adopting this technology as an integral part of blood transfusion services, safety of patients and well-being of the people of the Union Territory shall be ensured by providing an additional layer of safety to blood recipients.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Dr Samia Rashid, Principal GMC Srinagar said NAT-PCR helps to detect the presence of life threatening viruses HIV, HBV and HCV that may be present in the blood donated in window period of the infection, and can be missed by conventional screening technologies which ensures additional safety to blood recipients.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Dr. Rubi Reshi, Head of Department, Blood & Transfusion Medicine GMC Srinagar said that, "Blood donations screened with world class NAT PCR technology will reduce the risk of infection in 3 patients, as every unit of blood can be transfused to three people when separated into components.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Besides, NAT-PCR, Plasma Bank was also inaugurated by the Financial Commissioner, H&ME on the occasion.</span><br />''