DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY
INFRASTRUCTURE:
The Department of Microbiology was started in the year 1998, the first batch of students were admitted during the academic year 2000-2001. The department infrastructure includes separate rooms for Professor, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Tutors, Demonstrators, Laboratory technicians. There is a seminar hall and two demonstration rooms, practical hall with preparation rooms and museum is available for Undergraduates and Paramedical students.
Service Laboratories for Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology, Tuberculosis, Immunology, Parasitology and Serology Laboratories are functional. Sterilization Room, Media Preparation Room and Washing Room are available in our department. There is a store house for storing and maintaining the chemicals, reagents, culture media and glasswares.
In our department library, adequate text books, reference books and journals are available. Theory and Practical Classes are conducted as per the University Norms. Vertical and Horizontal seminars on important topics are carried out by the students and teaching faculty. All our teaching programmers are supported with informative audio visual aids and interactive discussions.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES:
MBBS II year around 150 students are admitted every year and around 100 students per year are admitted in two years diploma in medical laboratory technician course. B.Sc MLT course started since 2018 and admits 20 students per year. Theory classes and practical classes are conducted regularly as per University norms for all courses. Classes are taken for other paramedical courses like BSc OT, BSc RT. Each and every batch of CRRIs are undergoing one day special training for sample collection and transportation procedures for diagnostic microbiology laboratory. Refreshers training for CRRI are conducted twice a year on biomedical waste management program. All CRRIs in community medicine postings will collect the epidemiological data for acute diarrhoeal diseases, enteric fever, malarial fever, dengue fever and other infective diseases. MBBS students are involved in Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) surveillance after sensitization training.
Louis Pasteur Medal Exam is being conducted every year for Second year MBBS Students Since 2022 and medal winner honored with Rolling Trophy and Books.
DIAGNOSTIC:
The department of Microbiology is catering to a vast array of Laboratory services to patients in and around Thoothukudi District. Various clinical specimens like pus, Urine, Blood, Fluids, Stool, Tissues are received from out patients and in patients are tested for culture and sensitivity. Various serological tests like – CRP, ASO, RF, ELISA – Dengue, Chikungunya, HBsAg, Rapid card tests for HAV, HEV, HBsAg, Leptospira, Scrub typhus.
Various clinical specimens are received from out patients and in patients are tested for culture tests and various serological tests. Sterility check cultures from all the operation theatres by air sampler, SNN ward, labour ward etc of Thoothukudi Govt. Medical College Hospital are received periodically in our laboratory and are processed and reported regularly. We are also doing surveillance of labor room, OT, NICU for GH & PHCs in our district
The sterility check tests are carried out periodically to ensure sterility of blood bags, IV fluids, IV catheters and consumables. Water surveillance is done periodically from wards in the hospital and hostel sump. Human milk bank started in our hospital and for which culture is done.
Hospital infection control committeehas been in operation since 2015 and supervises the implementation of Hospital Infection Control Programs like periodically ensuring the cleanliness and safe disposal of all biomedical waste generated in our hospital and laboratories, HAI surveillance, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Educating Heath Care Workers to promote awareness, Outbreak management, monitor employee health activities. It also periodically monitoring the activities of CSSD, Laundry departments, Kitchen. Review meetings are conducted monthly to monitor those activities.
Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), the surveillance data received from our serology/Virology/bacteriology laboratory is sent to the Deputy director of health services, Thoothukudi immediately for necessary and speedy action.
MOLECULAR LABORATORY:
This laboratory has started on April 2020 with ICMR approval for COVID 19 PCR test. We have 4 Biosafety cabinets, 3 Thermo cyclers, 2 Deep freezer (-200C), 2 Deep freezer (-800C), Thermo mixer, 3 Refrigerated centrifuge, 2 Laboratory refrigerator. We have well equipped three extraction rooms, one master mix rooms & two amplification rooms. There is a store for maintaining & storing reagents. Consumables. Well established data entry rooms for ICMR entry & report issuing is also available. Adequate number of lab technicians & lab attenders are available in our molecular lab. PCR samples are sent to King’s institute, Guindy for External Quality Control. SARS COV 2 positive samples are also sent for genomic sequencing to SPHL laboratory, Chennai.
Under National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP), screening for Hepatitis B and C infection is done at our hospital lab and further confirmation and quantification of viral load is done at Govt. Thoothukudi Medical College -Molecular lab.
TANSACS:
STATE REFERENCE LABORATORY (SRL) for quality control of HIV testing is functioning in our department. 58 HIV testing centers from PHCs, government hospital, blood banks and voluntary NGO’S agencies from Thoothukudi district and Sivagangai district are participating in external quality assurance scheme programme. Quality control tests for HIV testing are being carried out on quarterly basis. We are in Pre -NABL Accreditation phase now.
CD4 TESTING done at ART center, Govt. Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital. Daily CD4 Testing is done using SYSMEX Machine. Viral load samples are collected and tested at Tirunelveli Govt. Medical College. External QC participation with NIV Pune.
INTEGRATED COUNSELLING AND TESTING CENTRE FOR HIV TESTING is functioning at Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital. Around 1200 per month antenatal mothers and direct walk-in-clients are attending for counseling and HIV testing. The HIV positive people are referred to ART centre for antiretroviral treatment and to RNTCP and STD department for tuberculosis & STD screening.
BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT regular monitoring is done by Infection Control Officer and Infection Control Nurses. The reports are sent to hospital infection control committee. The dates are updated to Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board through State Infection Control Committee.
GOVERNMENT THOOTHUKUDI MEDICAL COLLEGE
INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY
S.NO. |
REQUIREMENTS |
AVAILABLE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | BUILDINGS | |
| A | Lecture Theatre with LCD Projector and Microphone | Available 180 capacity |
| B | Demonstration Room | |
| Two Demonstration room (60 sq.m) to accommodate 75 students | Demo I – 65.22 sq.m Demo II- 65.16 Sq.m Capacity 75 Students | |
| Strip Chairs | 25 Benches and Desks in each Demonstration Room | |
| Over Head Projector, Slide Projector | One | |
| Television, Video and other audiovisual aids | Available | |
| C | Practical Laboratories | |
| Practical laboratory (200 sq.mt.Area) | Practical Lab – 1 Size 383.10 sq.m Capacity 90 students | |
| Benches, shelves cupboards, sinks, water taps light for microscopy and burners for 90 students | Seats available 70 students – water supply adequate | |
| Laboratory benches | Five | |
| Gas, electric points and light | Adequate | |
| Microscopes | 76 Nos. | |
| Preparation Room (14 sq.M.Area) | Preparation room 1 – size 17.70 sq.m | |
| D | Service Laboratory | |
| Service laboratory for bacteriology including Anaerobic (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Serology (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Virology (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Parasitology (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Mycology (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Tuberculosis (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Service laboratory for Immunology (35 sq.m) | Available size 35 sq.m | |
| Separate Accomodation | ||
| Media preparation and storage (20 sq.m) | Available size 20 sq.m | |
| Autoclaving room (12 sq.m) | Available size 17 sq.m | |
| Washing and drying room with regular and continuous water supply (12 sq.m) for contaminated culture plates, test tubes and glassware | Available size 12 sq.m | |
| E | Museum | |
| Museum (80 sq.m) with sitting capacity of 40 students | Available size 80 sq.m with capacity of 40 students | |
| Specimens, Charts, Models | Adequate | |
| 15 copies of catalogues for students | Available | |
| F | Departmental Library | |
| Departmental Library – cum seminar room (30 sq.m) | Library 11×5.2 m available Seminar room 11.6×8.9 m available | |
| No. of Books in Departmental Library | More than 200 books available | |
| G | Research | |
| Research laboratory (50 sq.m) | Available size 50 sq.m | |
| H | Molecular Laboratory (Infrastructure) | |
| Automated RNA extractor | 2 ( 1 Helix BIOTEKE 32 well extractor 2. Thermofischer 96 well extractor) | |
| RT PCR machine | 3 (2 BioRAD machine and 1 Rotagene Q machine) | |
| Biosafety Cabinets (Type II) | 4 No. | |
| Refrigerator Centrifuge | 3 No. | |
| Deep Freezer (-200C) | 2 | |
| Deep Freezer (-800C) | 2 |
HOSPITAL FACILITIES
Sl.No. |
Description |
Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bed strength | 1112 Beds |
| 2. | Out patients | 2200 patients / day |
| 3. | Clinical labs | Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology (Cytology, Histopathology, Pathology and Hematology) |
| 4. | Blood bank | Available |
LIST OF EQUIPMENTS, INSTRUMENTS & GLASSWARES AVAILABLE IN OUR DEPARTMENT
S.No. |
Name of the Items |
No.of items available |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Incubator (large) 37 oC | 5 |
| 2 | Autoclave | 3 |
| 3 | Hot air sterilizer | 3 |
| 4 | Arnold sterilizer | 3 |
| 5 | Serum inspissators | 2 |
| 6 | Balance, chemical | 2 |
| 7 | Lovibond comparators | 1 |
| 8 | Flasks flat bottom 50 cc | 10 |
| 9 | Microscope oil immersion moveable state Abbe condenser etc | 80 |
| 10 | Microscope, dark ground work with arc lamp arrangement etc | 1 |
| 11 | Refrigerators | 3 |
| 12 | Micrometer eye pieces | 2 |
| 13 | Micrometer stage | 2 |
| 14 | Centrifuge, electric high power | 3 |
| 15 | Refrigerated centrifuge | 1 |
| 16 | Distilled water plant | 2 |
| 17 | Distilled water plant all glass | 1 |
| 18 | Oil immersion lens for students Microscope | 80 |
| 19 | Dropping bottles for stains (Plastic) | 750 |
| 20 | Staining troughs | 100 |
| 21 | Anaerobic apparatus | 4 |
| 22 | Electrophoresis complete set | 1 |
| 23 | B.O.D. incubator | 2 |
| 24 | Laminar flow table | 1 |
| 25 | Ultra violet (UV) lamps | 1 |
| 26 | Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory (VDRL) shaker | 2 |
| 27 | Computer Unit | 1 |
| 28 | Overhead projector | 1 |
| 29 | Water bath (serological) 37°C | 1 |
| 30 | Water bath (serological) 56°C | 1 |
| 31 | Deep freeze (-20°C) | 1 |
| 32 | Elisa Reader, dispenser and washer | 1 |
| 33 | Automated Blood Culture System | 1 |
| 34 | Binocular Microscope | 3 |
| 35 | Thermometers (Assorted) | 12 |
| 36 | Glasswares such as pipettes burettes, beakers, conical flasks, petridishes of different sizes, reagent bottles etc. | As required |
| 37 | Material for preparation of media stains | As required |
| 38 | pH Determination apparatus | 2 |
| 39 | Reagent bottles with stopper 2000cc | 12 |
| 40 | Reagent bottles with stopper 1000 cc | 48 |
| 41 | Reagent bottles with stopper 500 cc | 24 |
| 42 | Reagent bottles with stopper 250 cc | 24 |
| 43 | Reagent bottles with stopper 100 cc | 60 |
| 44 | Reagent bottles with stopper 50cc | 60 |
| 45 | Test tubers hard glass 150 mm x 18 mm | 12 Gross |
| 46 | Test tubers hard glass 100 mm x 12mm | 25 Gross |
| 47 | Test tubers hard glass 75 mm x 12 mm | 25 Gross |
| 48 | Balance Electronic Digital | 2 |
| 49 | Biosafety cabinet type – 4x2x2 | 7 |
| 50 | Deep freezer – 80°C | 2 |
| 51 | Laminar air flow | 1 |
| 52 | Minicentrifuge | 2 |
| 53 | ATCC Strain – E. coli 25922 | As req |
| 54 | ATCC Strain – Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853 | As req |
| 55 | ATCC Strain – Staphylococcus aureus 25923 | As req |
| 56 | Bottles for blood culture | As req |
| 57 | Micropipettes – Multi channel & Single Channel | As req |
| 58 | Materials for preparation of various culture media | As req |
| 59 | Materials required for various Microbiological stains | As req |
| 60 | Digital Thermometer of Different Temperatures | As req |
| 61 | Various kits for Serological Diagnostics | As req |
| 62 | Laptop | 1 |
| 63 | Desktop Computer with Printer | 2 |
| 64 | Photocopier and Scanner | 3 |
| 65 | PCR Qiagen Thermocycler | 1 |
| 66 | PCR Biorad Thermocycler | 2 |
| 67 | Thermofisher Automated RNA Extractor | 1 |
| 68 | Helini Automated RNA Extractor | 1 |
| 69 | PCR Qiagen Laptop | 1 |
| 70 | PCR Biorad Computer | 2 |
| 71 | LIMS Computer | 4 |
| 72 | LIMS Photo Scanner | 2 |