KOCHI: One glaring shortcoming that Kerala’s healthcare sector rues today, in the midst of the battle against Covid-19, is the lack of a full-fledged testing centre, on the lines of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, in the state. Authorities, admittedly, have been slow off the blocks, as the experience with Nipah should have established the need for such a facility beyond debate.
As the state mulls mass testing to identify Covid-19 patients, experts opine that it is high time such a virology centre is set up in the state. Amongst all the districts, Ernakulam particularly seems to be fast becoming an epicentre of viral infections, opine experts. The district ranks high with regard to the number of recorded cases of Covid-19 as well. A lab set up in Kochi after the Nipah scare would’ve benefitted the state in fighting Covid-19 better, say doctors.
“We need to keep a keen eye out for viral diseases, as they pose a huge threat to our state. Our medical system is well-equipped, and we have the antibiotics to fight major bacterial and fungal diseases. However, viruses are a potent threat, as their mutation is a major problem. We should have the facilities for proper research to identify new strains of virus as soon as they are detected. Otherwise, the situation will spiral out of control,” said Dr Sanil Kumar, a urologist based in Kochi, and member of the Justice V R Krishna Iyer Movement, which has raised the demand for an NIV in Kerala.
The Kerala State Institute of Virology and Infectious Diseases set up in 1999 in Alappuzha was the first virology institute in the state, but over the years it stopped functioning. Later, a branch of the National Institute of Virology (NIV) was set up there. “The NIV in Alappuzha does not have adequate expertise, and is more like a branch of NIV Pune. A state-of-the-art virology institute equipped with facilities for thorough research on viruses is a must since our state lacks facilities for studies and research on the subject,” said Sanil.
Meanwhile, Dr Anup Warrier, Assistant Chief of Medical Services, Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, said that any virus can be brought under control if detected at an early stage. “We should be able to pinpoint without doubt the exact nature of the virus we are fighting when a virus outbreak like this happens. In the case of Covid-19, while we had information from China and other countries, nothing specific about the virus, particularly its strain prevalent in India, was known,” said Dr Anup.