NAGPUR: The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) on Monday announced to set up Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at Government Medical College and Hospital within two months so that samples for various diseases will no longer be required to be sent either to Pune or Mumbai for diagnosis.It was difficult for doctors to treat patients suffering from viral diseases like swine flu, dengue, bird flu, Zika and Chandipura, besides others, for want of a diagnostic centre at Nagpur. And sending samples to Pune or Mumbai was cumbersome.Similar labs will be set up at government medical colleges and hospitals of Akola, Dhule, Solapur and Aurangabad. The initiative to establish a network of laboratories for managing epidemics and natural calamities across Maharashtra was taken by the central government’s health and family welfare department along with Health Research Institute and Indian Medical Association.A memorandum of understanding for establishing such laboratories was signed recently.DMER chief Dr Pravin Shingare said, “Earlier, treatment for suspected patients of swine flu was initiated without waiting for sample reports. Later, most of the times, the report would be negative. Now, delay in diagnosis will be reduced,” he said.The cost of developing the laboratory will be borne by the central government while DMER will allot space, Dr Shingare said.GMCH dean Dr Abhimanyu Niswade told TOI, “We wanted this lab to not only study the present viruses but also conduct research on prospective ones. We have space available to set up the laboratory,” he said.

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