SRINAGAR: While diagnostic virology has entered into mainstream medical practice, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that Kashmir is lagging behind because of non-availability of testing facility for viruses.
Ascribing high mortality to viruses, patients in Kashmir hospitals are dying undiagnosed due to lack of virological testing, President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan said in a statement to KNS.
GMC is without a virology lab and though SKIMS in 2014 got huge funds for creation of a state virology lab but till now no such facility has been put in place.
Many of the illnesses in hospitalized patients remain mysterious due to absence of viral diagnostic laboratory.
We do not know which viruses are prevalent in our population and have no idea about emerging viruses, the ultimate goal of which was to devise intervention strategies.
Since the discovery of first virus in 1898, thousands of virus species have been described and many serious diseases, including cancer are caused by viruses.
Number of patients at risk for opportunistic viral infections has expanded greatly.
With the advent of new immunological and molecular tests any virus can be detected quickly.
Establishing a specific viral diagnosis limits other diagnostic procedures and is essential for differentiating from other illnesses for institution of rational therapy and control measures.
Dramatic progress in antiviral therapeutics has increased the need for specific viral diagnosis.
Viral diagnosis is important for public health purposes, for example, lab documentation of cases of rubella or rubeola can set in motion extensive vaccination campaigns.
Lack of capacity to diagnose viral diseases is a serious threat to public health as viral diagnostic lab is prerequisite for dealing with lethal viruses, handling outbreaks and managing pandemics. (KNS)
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