Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital opens new Centre for Excellence in Infectious Diseases tomorrow

The centre is being set up in association with the hospital’s US based partner Direct Relief. This is a not-for-profit organisation based in Santa Barbara, United States, and is among the largest charity organisations in the US that has donated US$ 1.7 billion in medical aid to 2,310 hospitals across the globe.

Direct Relief has helped Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital construct a new oxygen generation facility to provide ongoing supplies of medical grade oxygen to the hospital, maintain Covid operations during the crisis, and help set up a Centre of Excellence in Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine’ to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and laboratory testing to communities and to ensure efficient and appropriate treatment.

During Covid-19 pandemic Direct Relief, enabled by donors, pharmaceutical contributors and logistics partners, rapidly mobilised more than 750 tonnes of medical material. These urgently needed resources included oxygen concentration devices, Covid medication, PPEs and funding to support the rapid response of health organisations sourcing oxygen devices within India.

“It will also be a centre for training and education and give DMH the capacity to track Covid variants and other infectious disease strains,” Dr Kelkar added. “We will undertake academic programmes like fellowships, training courses, workshops and more for dissemination of subject knowledge and technical skills,” Dr Kelkar added.