Virus research and diagnostic laboratories stood as sentinels during Covid: Anupriya Patel

New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) The virus research and diagnostic laboratories have stood as sentinels in protecting the country during the Covid pandemic and beyond, Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said on Thursday.

Inaugurating the National Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) Conclave 2025 here, she also lauded the DHR, ICMR and VRDLs for their collaborations and innovation in service of society.

She said each laboratory, each innovation, each collaboration contributes to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Addressing scientists from 165 VRDLs across the country at the two-day conclave, Patel said our VRDLs have stood as sentinels in protecting the country during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

She acknowledged the key role played by these laboratories in sequencing the virus and validating nearly 1,700 diagnostic commodities.

Noting that 16 of these VRDLs are now equipped with bio-safety level-3 facilities to study high-risk pathogens, the minister said VRDLs have been central to early detection of outbreaks of Nipah, Zika, and Kyasanur Forest Disease.

She highlighted the role of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, the country's only BSL-4 laboratory, and said that under the Prime Minister's Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, four new regional NIVs are being established in Jabalpur, Dibrugarh, Bangalore, and Jammu.

She acknowledged India's strides in combating tuberculosis (TB) through homegrown innovative technologies and solutions validated by ICMR.

Portable handheld X-ray machines have been deployed to remote villages as part of the 100-day TB campaign. DeepCXR, an AI-based screening tool trained on over 75,000 chest X-ray images, is now freely available for mass TB screening, she said.

The CyTb skin test, priced affordably at Rs 199, offers a cost-effective method to detect latent TB, while PathoDetectTM provides rapid and accurate molecular diagnosis for TB and drug resistance in a single test, she said. A modified BPaL treatment regimen trial has demonstrated cure rates of up to 90 percent for drug-resistant TB with reduced side effects.

Addressing health challenges in tribal populations, Patel highlighted efforts to eliminate sickle cell disease through the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.

The cost of rapid diagnostic tests has been brought down from Rs 300 to Rs 28 through cost-effectiveness studies by Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn) and validation by ICMR.

The Union minister also informed that HTAIn has also played a vital role in optimizing healthcare costs and quality under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme, revising 855 health benefit packages based on cost data collected from 86 hospitals, thereby benefiting millions.

ICMR's collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to develop standard protocols for in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) is another pioneering step. These publicly available protocols elevate validation standards and enhance the global competitiveness of Indian diagnostics. Several VRDLs are also being upgraded to Medical Device Testing Laboratories, she stated.

Patel also released the In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) validation portal and protocols and exuded confidence that "the new IVD validation portal launched today will facilitate faster, more transparent, and industry-friendly validation processes".

As part of strengthening evidence-based policymaking, she released the first VRDL Bulletin. She stated that "this will enable real-time tracking of viral infections to improve resource allocation by both state and central governments".

Citing examples of DHR's contributions in TB innovations and sickle cell elimination, the Union minister said, "from early detection of outbreaks to indigenous test validations, from TB and sickle cell innovations to the establishment of new NIVs and the pioneering One Health collaborations, India is building a resilient, self-reliant, and globally relevant health research ecosystem." ICMR DG Dr Rajiv Bahl and Drug Controller General of India Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi were also present at the event. PTI PLB ZMN