Mumbai based PD Hinduja Hospital signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Health and Human Services to address the growing burden of infectious diseases like TB and HIV in the country.

The LoI was signed by Gautam Khanna, CEO, PD Hinduja Hospital & MRC and Dr Carl Dieffenbach, director, The Division of AIDS (NIAID, NIH).

Under this LoI, a center of excellence linked to the hospital, Hinduja Institute for Medical Research and Training (HIMAT) will be established to address the issues of TB and HIV and maintenance of a clinical research site at HIMAT. The Division of AIDS, NIAID, NIH will assist in training and scientific exchanges for HIMAT affiliated researchers in NIH or NIH associated institutions.

With over 35 international research projects, Hinduja Hospital research team has to its credit at least 10 international collaborations in the field of TB. Partnership with NIAID, NIH is the latest breakthrough in its research on infectious diseases.

While the hospital’s research community has undertaken close to 1,000 research projects, tuberculosis has been an extremely active research area. The Hinduja Research Society has supported research on TB over the last 20 years and helped catalyze change in the programmatic management of TB in India and particularly in Mumbai.

In addition to TB research, the research group is also conducting extensive research in detection of eubacterial organisms in sepsis and molecular characterization of carbapenemases that cause carbapenem-resistance. As carbapenem resistance is increasingly being reported worldwide, the group has developed an effective genotypic assay to detect carbapenemases in clinical samples.

Since its establishment in 1987, the Research Society in the hospital has been supporting research.  Talking about the overall objective of this agreement, Vinoo Hinduja, managing trustee, PD Hinduja Hospital said, “This partnership will be a boon to the world and act as a platform of US/INDO scientists working together to transform healthcare in six core disease areas of cardiac sciences, neuro-science and mental health, diabetes, pulmonary medicine, oncology and musculoskeletal/trauma along with infectious and chronic diseases.

“Our team’s research work and globally recognised achievements in the field of TB, from research - based TB rapid diagnosis to successful treatment of MDR, XDR, TDR TB patients has proven the importance and synergy between research and diagnosis. Now we are taking a step further to bring contributors to the subject of TB together under one roof along with The Division of AIDS (NIAID, NIH)”, she added.

PP Hinduja, founder member, PD Hinduja Hospital said, “TB is one of greatest India’s health challenges, as India is home to more people ill with TB than any other country. Ending TB can be only achieved only through multidisciplinary approach and with greater collaboration within and across governments, and with partners form civil society, communities, researchers and the private sector.”

Commenting on the partnership, Gautam Khanna, CEO, PD Hinduja Hospital said, “This is indeed a historic day for us as we initiate a promising start with The Division of AIDS (NIAID, NIH) for launching a Center of Excellence for Infectious disease research.”

The hospital has recently received the TB Champion Award by The International Union Against TB and Lung Disease for its commitment to TB.