Welcome to the Department fo Microbiology
Since its inception in the year 2009, under the leadership of founder HOD, Dr. Nitin Barua Sir, the Department of Microbiology has been significantly contributing to the health care services of Middle Assam by rendering all tertiary care level Microbiological tests that is now anticipating NABL accreditation in the nearest future. The laboratory is running all Microbiological tests 24X7 along with the Microbiology wing of the CCL section that functions from 2pm-8am every day. The Department of Microbiology JMCH has achieved 100% marks in External Quality Control of various tests in Bacteriology and Serology as of July,2021. Regular surveillance samples are tested from OTs and ICUs of JMCH as well as from various private hospitals in Jorhat and neighbouring districts. The laboratory is well equipped with most of the modern technologies including automated blood culture machines, VITEK machines, MiniVidas semiautomated machines, ELISA, PCR machines.
THE BIG FIGHT AGAINST THE PANDEMIC
The department of Microbiology has been actively involved in the continuous fight against the deadly SARS CoV2 virus since the saga of the COVID19 pandemic in Assam. It started way back in March 2020 when a Foreign traveller was found RTPCR positive in Bhutan after travelling from Jorhat. The faculties of the Microbiology department alongwith representatives from Medicine and Community Medicine, under the able guidance of The Hospital Superintendent cum PI & Nodal officer VRDL cum Associate Professor Dept. of Microbiology, Dr.Purnima Barua went for collection of samples from quarantined travellers from The M.V.MAHABAHU Cruise ship that was stationed in the midst of the mighty Brahmaputra with more than 50 passengers. Although none of the passengers tested positive, however, this venture announced the arrival of COVID19 in Assam.
SOME GLIMPSES FROM THE FIRST VENTURE
When the whole nation was locked down completely, the frontliners started their fight against this COVID19 pandemic. In the month of April, 2020, all the faculties of the Department of Microbiology started training of staffs and various categories of healthcare givers starting from Cleaners and Ambulance drivers to the faculties of all the Departments in JMCH as well as from the peripheral health care centres of Jorhat. Microbiology led teams of faculties went out to all neighbouring districts like Golaghat, Sivasagar, Majuli, Charaideo to give training regarding all IPC protocols including hand hygiene, donning and doffing of PPE, Biomedical Waste disposal, disposal of linens, household and hospital cleaning protocols, respiratory etiquettes, patient management at various levels of health care etc, to gear up for the impending threat. Dr. Atanu Chakravarty, Dr. Angshurekha Das and Dr. Dweep Jyoti Baishya were members of the Master trainer team to give training to the trainers in the various neighbouring districts.
GLIMPSES OF A TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF TRAINING PROGRAMS TAKEN
The COVID19 pandemic has earmarked the VRDL Laboratory in the Department as one of the apex testing laboratories for testing of RTPCR samples from Jorhat, Golaghat, Majuli, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Charaideo. Samples are also referred from many other districts time and on. The VRDL laboratory is strongly equipped with 5RTPCR machines and 2 conventional machines. Alongwith an Annexe Laboratory, the VRDL department is significantly contributing to the control of the pandemic by testing more than 1500 samples per day. The VRDL team has tested samples upto 3000 per day working day in and day out during the peaks of the pandemic. Since the onset of the first wave in Assam in March, 2020 the Laboratory has completed more than 2,50,000 tests till the end of July, 2021 and is continuing to render its services 24X7.
The faculties of the Department of Microbiology have been actively involved in designing the COVID ward and ICU setup, keeping in view all the protocols to be followed as per standard guidelines and the IPC measures are looked after by regular surveillance and audit programs. The institutional Hospital Infection Control Committee has been formed last year with active involvement of our faculties including Dr. Purnima Barua as the Chairperson, Dr. Uttara Borkotoki as the Co Chairperson, Dr. Atanu Chakravarty as the Member Secy. And Dr. Binita Bhuyan as the Hospital Infection Control Officer of the HICC, JMCH. Surveillance samples from OTs and ICUs are also tested and appropriate modifications given at regular intervals. A multicentric Project has started with JIPMER regarding hand hygiene audits in COVID care locations wherein the PGTs of the Department of Microbiology are also actively involved in carrying out the audits everyday.
Besides, the Faculties of the Department of Microbiology including Dr. Bipanchi Mahanta and Dr. Angshurekha Das, under the able guidance of the Convener, NMC Regional Centre for Medical Education Technologies JMCH cum Member, NMC Expert Group on Implementation and Monitoring of the Competency based UG Curriculum, Dr. Purnima Barua, are actively involved in preparing the entire Phase II curriculum for the Undergraduate students according to the new NMC guidelines, including designing the master time table, routine for the students, GMER hour wise distribution of subjects, alignment, integration of all the subjects and preparing the clinical postings and clerkship for the students. The new AETCOM and PANDEMIC module classes that have been incorporated in the curriculum are actively organised by the Microbiology department alongwith time to time formative assessments for the Phase II students. The concerned faculties are also involved in screening all NMC related documents.