Advanced molecular and diagnostic research centre inaugurated at AIIMS Bhubaneswar
Advanced molecular and diagnostic research centre inaugurated at AIIMS Bhubaneswar
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Bhubaneswar: On Friday, the department of microbiology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar opened an advanced molecular and diagnostic research centre for fungi, the first of its kind in eastern India.
In the presence of AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Prof Ashutosh Biswas, renowned medical mycologist Prof Arunaloke Chakrabarti inaugurated the centre. The lab will serve as a referral centre in eastern India.
Other dignitaries present at the inaugural ceremony included Dean (Academic) Prof P R Mohapatra, Head of the Department of Microbiology Prof Baijayantimala Mishra, and Dr Madhuchhanda Das, Scientist of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
According to Prof Chakrabarti, there are various dangerous fungal infections. Some of them, such as mucormycosis and Candida auris, have only recently come to the attention of the medical and non-medical communities.
Prof Biswas agreed that fungal infections have recently become "viral." Despite this, there is a scarcity of knowledge about recognising and treating fungal infections.
Advanced molecular and diagnostic research facilities for fungi have been built across India to fill this void. Prof Chakrabarti and Dr Madhuchhanda stressed that the goal of constructing the advanced laboratory is to make cutting-edge diagnostics for fungal infections available to the people of Odisha.
The goal is also to train Odia doctors and paramedics in the identification and treatment of fungal diseases, as well as to assist other medical hospitals in eastern India with the diagnosis and management of fungal infections.
The laboratory will serve as a referral facility for eastern India. According to a press release from AIIMS Bhubaneswar, it will aid in the identification of medical fungi by providing various serological, molecular, and antifungal susceptibility testing services for patients with diverse fungal illnesses.
The lab will also offer observership / hands-on laboratory training opportunities throughout the year to microbiology trainees and professional microbiologists. Hospitals experiencing fungal infection outbreaks can seek assistance from this centre to determine the underlying causes of an outbreak, end the episode, and implement steps to prevent future instances.
