Raipur. The Virology Laboratory of AIIMS Raipur, known as the State Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (VRDL) under the Department of Microbiology, has achieved a significant milestone. On August 1, the laboratory received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for the first time. NABL has accredited this laboratory of AIIMS Raipur for the identification of 12 major human virus infections, including: viral meningitis / encephalitis, viral pneumonia caused by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), swine flu (H1N1), influenza B, RSV, 14 high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) that cause cervical cancer, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis B and C viral load, and dengue. Established in the year 2018, this laboratory is not only providing diagnostic services to patients coming to AIIMS Raipur but also tests samples coming from all over Chhattisgarh. This lab is playing a major role in testing for COVID-19, Hepatitis A/B/C/E and Dengue and also plays an active role in investigating outbreaks of viral diseases like Chickenpox, Conjunctivitis and Mumps. Chhattisgarhi Movies
This laboratory also serves as the State Nodal Centre for COVID-19 testing, quality control and whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in the state. Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Raipur, Lt. Gen Ashok Jindal (Retd.) congratulated the entire team on this achievement and called it an important step towards providing state-of-the-art diagnostic services to the people of Chhattisgarh. Prof. (Dr.) Anudita Bhargava called this NABL accreditation a result of teamwork and dedication, while Prof. (Dr.) Sanjay Singh Negi said that this recognition received under ISO 15189:2022 reflects the high quality and accurate testing services of the laboratory. This achievement was made possible by the tireless efforts of the entire team, which includes: Dr. Madhavi Madke (Assistant Professor), Senior Residents: Dr. Sajitha, Dr. Atish, Dr. Sushree, Dr. Gargi, Research Scientist-C: Kuldeep Sharma, Dr. Pushpendra Singh, Scientist-B: Dr. Ruchi Khare, Research Assistant: Jian Chandravanshi, Lab Technicians: Mohammad Rafiqullah Khan, Hanuman Prasad, Data Entry Operator: Kushan Parganiha, MTS: Amit Mishra, and other dedicated research workers. This achievement is not only a matter of pride for the institute but also a great achievement for the state of Chhattisgarh.
