Chandigarh: The diagnosis of the rheumatic heart diseases among the children is set to be revolutionised. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Germany-based Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in collaboration with the PGI, is set to create infrastructure for “inexpensive” test for the diagnosis of these diseases among the children.
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“In fact, the devising of the test at the research centre is the result of 20 years research. The recent grant of euros 1.3 million by the European Commission to the centre will go a long way in the creation of the testing infrastructure in several parts of the world in collaboration with our research partners,” Dr GS Chhatwal, director of microbiology, at the centre, said here today.
Once put in place, the testing facilities would prove to be a boon for the potential heart patients among the children as over 15 million children, including 6 million in India, were suffering from the heart diseases, said Dr Chhatwal.
The PGI, Chandigarh, AIIMS, New Delhi, and CMC, Vellore, are collaborating with the Germany centre besides an institute each in Scotland and Sweden. PGI director Dr KK Talwar was principal investigator in the project.
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