AIIMS Rajkot will soon be equipped to test for the Zika virus, significantly reducing testing time for Gujarat residents. Previously, samples had to be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, Maharashtra, a process that could take weeks.
The new testing facility at AIIMS Rajkot is expected to be operational next week, with results available within 24 hours for suspected cases. This rapid turnaround is a major improvement over the previous one-week to one-month wait time.
To handle highly infectious diseases, AIIMS Rajkot is also set to construct a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory, approved by the central government. Construction is slated to begin next month.
Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, has been linked to 13 cases in India so far this year, with three in Karnataka and 10 in Maharashtra. Gujarat last reported Zika cases in 2017.
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, AIIMS Rajkot is a 720-bed multispecialty hospital built at a cost of Rs 1,195 crore.
