Microbiology department of AIIMS Bhubaneswar selected as VRDL lab

The Microbiology department of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has been selected as the State Level-VRDL for Odisha under a Central scheme.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar (Photo | EPS)
AIIMS Bhubaneswar (Photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR:  The Microbiology department of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has been selected as the State Level-Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) for Odisha under a Central scheme.

The laboratory will ensure timely identification and genetic study of viruses of public health importance including novel, unknown and emerging/re-emerging strains.

The department has been selected under the ‘Setting up of nation-wide network of laboratories for managing epidemics and national calamities’ scheme of Union Health Ministry.

The country has witnessed several outbreaks of emerging/re-emerging viral infections in the last two years. Annual epidemics of dengue, chikungunya, influenza, rota-virus, measles-rubella and Japanese encephalitis are being reported from across the country. 

This apart, the country has witnessed acute outbreaks or threats of infiltration of new or exotic viruses such as Nipah, SARS-CoV, Avian Influenza H5N1, East/Central/South African (ECSA) strains of chikungunya, pandemic influenza, Ebola and Zika. 

Realising the high risk of viral infections and limited capacity for timely detection of such viruses, the ICMR has decided to enhance the country’s capacity for early identification and diagnosis of all viral infection. 

AIIMS Director Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane said the lab is a part of the Centre’s VRDL scheme.

“The Microbiology department has been working tirelessly for the last one year as the mentor institute for all medical colleges and government institutes of Odisha and West Bengal for Covid-19 RT-PCR test. It has conducted test of over 90,000 samples so far,” she said.

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