The Tiruchi K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College in the city has got a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Lab, making it the only government hospital in the region to get the facility.
The state-of-the-art facility established at the Department of Microbiology at a cost of Rs.20 lakh would help conduct test and detect viral and bacterial infections, M.A. Aleem, Dean (in-charge) of the college told The Hindu.
The PCR lab, to be inaugurated soon, was sanctioned for the college at the height of the swine flu when the dearth of testing facilities was felt acutely. However, the facility could be used to diagnose and confirm various other diseases caused by bacterial and viral infections.
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The Tiruchi college was one of the five government institutions in the State that were sanctioned the lab, Dr.Aleem said.
The establishment of the facility at the government college would do away with the need to send samples for facilities outside the city. While real-time PCR tests could be costly, the government college would conduct the tests free of cost.
The college has planned to apply for permission for introducing post-graduate programmes in psychiatry, ENT, radiology, bio-chemistry and pathology, apart from Doctor of Medicine (DM) in neurology. Currently, the college offers five post-graduate programmes (MD) in general medicine, gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia and MS programme in general surgery.
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Referring to other development works at the college, Dr.Aleem said a power laundry would soon be set at the students hostel.
Additional computers would soon be made available for the college students.
A new play ground, including an athletic track, was being established with the support of a donor, K.N. Ramajeyam.