Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital

Muzaffarpur, June 15: The Union ministry of health and family planning has decided to establish a centre for innovative researches on tropical diseases at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) to monitor the rural healthcare and check tropical diseases among rural folks.

The superintendent of SKMCH, G.K. Thakur, said: “The Union ministry has selected SKMCH for establishing the health and medical research centre in the wake of prevalence of tropical diseases, including kala azar, encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis and worm infestation in the districts of north Bihar.”

Several medical colleges were in the fray for getting the centre for innovative researches on tropical diseases. But the SKMCH had an edge because it is located in north Bihar, where tropical diseases are common.

The health and medical research centre at SKMCH would help check the surge of the contagious and tropical diseases, which create havoc during the monsoons in this part of Bihar.

Besides monitoring the health of the people of the area, the centre would help the doctors posted in rural primary health centres and additional primary health centres to enhance their knowledge on the diseases.

The Union ministry recently sought details of the available infrastructure at SKMCH.

The medical college has put forth the name of the head of the department of preventive and social medicine Dr Shashi Sinha for coordinating the establishment process of the proposed health and medical research centre. His name was forwarded to the Union ministry after consultation with the principal and the superintendent of the medical college.

Meanwhile, the formalities for opening a central pathological centre, an idea mooted by the central government, at the SKMCH has been completed.