Punjab Govt providing free land for NIV at New Chandigarh, Mohali: Minister OP Soni

Chandigarh: Punjab Medical Education and Research department on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune here.

The agreement was signed by Dr Sujata Sharma, Director of Medical Education, and Priya Abraham, Director, NIV, Pune in the presence of Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Om Prakash Soni and Principal Secretary Medical Education and Research Alok Shekhar.

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Mr Soni said that the laboratories of Government Medical Colleges at Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot started daily 40 tests last year at the time of COVID-19 pandemic, which had now been ramped 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/ quality assurance.

The Minister said NIV Pune is a premium institute with BSL–IV facility providing testing, training, teaching, research facilities, regarding viral diseases. It is one of the major institutes of ICMR, established in 1952. He said last year Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for establishing NIV in Punjab. Now the central government has approved the establishment of NIV at Mohali this year in the Union Budget. Recently teams of ICMR/ NIV finalized land at New Chandigarh and mutation of said land has been done in the name of NIV.

He further said that the Punjab Government was committed to provide world class healthcare facilities for to the people of the state and many initiatives were being taken by the Punjab government in this regard.

Mr Soni said today is a historic day in Punjab history, when after about 70 years another NIV will be established in India at New Chandigarh, Mohali. Land is being provided free by Punjab Government.

Notably this institute will provide the best of teaching, especially post-graduate courses/training, research esp. in diseases like influenza, encephalitis, dengue, chikungunya, Ebola, H1N1, COVID etc. This will be a Regional Center, from which Punjab and all the neighboring states will also be benefitted in medical services, education, opportunities, facilities for the best of medical care.

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