BHOPAL: In Sehariya tribe, it is 3000 cases of Tuberculsis per 100,000 populations, which is the highest prevalence in the world. While normal are 211. Department of health research and director general, Indian council of medical research secretary Prof. Balram Bhargava said it while inaugurating Bio Safety Risk-3 Level Lab in AIIMS, Bhopal on World TB Day on Sunday. The facility has been developed with a budget of over Rs 5 crore.
It is the first lab in central India which is capable of handling microorganisms which are placed in risk group 3 like: HIV, SARS, Influenza, and Zika virus, Plague bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (all forms including MDR and XDR-TB), to name a few. Bargava said, “A dozen BSL-3 are present in the country and this facility inaugurated today at AIIMS, Bhopal is the first such Lab amongst the AIIMS in India. He elaborated that this service will cater for TB and other viral infections like Zika virus, HIV, SARS among others. Sehariya tribe can be taken care of as there is a huge opportunity for the researchers here.”
Bharagava appreciated the excellent services set-up by AIIMS, Bhopal for the tuberculosis patients and promised that ICMR will extend all its support for furthering tuberculosis research at AIIMS, Bhopal. The director & CEO, AIIMS, Bhopal – Dr Sarman Singh said, “This facility will be a resource for the whole region of central India and AIIMS Bhopal will be able to handle outbreaks of such infectious diseases in the region and other parts of the country, if needed.”
“Simple etiquettes like not spitting in open areas of public uses, stopping dry brooming of the public ways and covering ones mouth while coughing and sneezing can make a lot of difference. He emphasised that by adopting such simple socio-cultural changes, diseases like TB and influenza can be halved”, Dr Sarman Singh added.