Jaipur: Tropical institute to help check Monkeypox, Tomato flu threats

Jaipur: Benefitting the patients, functioning of Institute of Tropical Medicines and Virology has started at RUHS Hospital as the land for the institute is yet to be allotted. The institute has become operational at the right time when the cases of seasonal diseases are on the rise and the threat of infectious diseases such as Monkeypox and Tomato flu is looming large, for which the health department has already issues separate guidelines for containing their spread and for developing facilities for their treatment.

The institute will not only provide education, research and services in tropical medicine but also it will help in detecting viral diseases by setting up modern biosafety level (BSL) 3/4 laboratory.

At the institute, all the infectious diseases cases including Covid-19 and non Covid infectious diseases will be treatment. Currently, 68 patients are undergoing treatment. The institute is using the existing facilities for diagnosis and treatment at RUHS hospital. Soon, it will start procuring the modern machines and equipment for the institute.

Currently, the state sends infectious diseases samples for testing to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Once the laboratory at the Institute of tropical diseases and virology with BSL 3/4 facilities come into existence, the state will not need to samples to NIV, Pune as the state will develop its own in-house facility for testing viral and infectious diseases samples.

RUHS has a capacity of around 800 beds, out of those 500 have been allocated to Institute of tropical diseases and virology, while 300 have been allocated to RUHS college of medical sciences.