Punjab Medical Education and Research department on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, at Punjab Bhawan.
The institute will provide post-graduate courses/training and research in diseases such as influenza, encephalitis, dengue, chikungunya, ebola, H1N1, Covid, etc. This will be a regional centre from which Punjab and all the neighbouring states will benefit in medical services, education, opportunities and facilities.
The agreement was signed by Director of Medical Education Dr Sujata Sharma and NIV Director Priya Abraham in the presence of Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Om Prakash Soni and Principal Secretary, Medical Education and Research, Alok Shekhar.
Soni said the laboratories of government medical colleges in Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot started daily 40 tests last year at the time of Covid-19 pandemic, which had now been ramped up to 10,000-15,000 daily in each lab. He said that despite enhanced testing facilities, still some tests were being sent to NIV Pune/ central institutes for further testing, genome sequencing and quality assurance.
The minister said that the National Institute of Virology, Pune, is a premium institute with BSL-IV facility and was established in 1952.
“Today is a historic day as another National Institute of Virology will be established in India at New Chandigarh, Mohali. The land is being provided for free by the government,” Soni added.
