Victoria Hospital to be designated facility to screen, test, isolate suspected mpox cases

Medical Education Department designates Victoria Hospital as the facility to screen, test, and isolate monkeypox cases, with 50 beds allocated.

In response to growing concern over the spread of the monkeypox (mpox) virus in several countries, the Medical Education Department has identified the State-run Victoria hospital as the designated facility to screen, test and isolate suspected cases.

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, who conducted a meeting on Friday (August 23) to evaluate the situation and implement precautionary measures, announced that 50 beds in the ‘H’ block of Victoria Hospital would be set aside for monkeypox cases.

During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, Victoria Hospital, a referral tertiary public healthcare facility that houses the Emergency and Trauma Care Centre, PMSSY Super-speciality Hospital, Institute of Nephro Urology, Minto Ophthalmic Hospital and Vani Vilas Hospital, had been converted into a designated COVID-19 facility. All these hospitals are affiliated with Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).

“Additionally, the hospital’s Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) and Microbiology Department are fully equipped to conduct the necessary tests. Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits are also in place to manage potential cases. Although India has not reported any monkeypox case as yet, hospitals affiliated with BMCRI are on high alert and prepared to handle any outbreak,” the Minister said.

Asserting that there is no need to panic, the Minister said, “I met officials from the Medical Education Department to discuss strategies to contain the monkeypox virus if there is an outbreak. Following guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, we have initiated precautionary measures. We will organise testing and screening facilities at Victoria Hospital and set up isolation beds. Tests will be conducted free of charge. Similar arrangements will be extended to other hospitals as the situation evolves,” the Minister said.

Early this week, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao held a meeting to take stock of surveillance and other prevention measures and said that the State was gearing up to handle the outbreak, if any.