Pune to get ₹9.62 crore advanced disease surveillance lab at Kasba Peth under Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Facility shifted from Naidu Hospital due to space issues; will test for major infectious diseases.
Lab to include genome sequencing and reduce burden on National Institute of Virology.
Pune, 15 August 2025: Pune will soon host an advanced disease surveillance laboratory at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Late Tukaram Jawale Bhavan in Kasba Peth. The facility, part of the Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, was originally planned for Dr. Naidu Hospital in Baner. However, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) dropped the location after finding the allotted 5,000 sq. ft. space inadequate.
The project is one of ten such metropolitan surveillance units to be set up across India to improve early detection and response to public health threats. The centre will fund the entire initiative, with ₹9.62 crore allocated for infrastructure, equipment, and staffing. Recruitment of technical experts is expected to begin in June, followed by installation of medical devices.
The laboratory will play a crucial role in tracking and analysing disease trends in Pune, strengthening coordination between public and private health institutions, and supporting emergency health management. It will conduct testing for COVID-19, swine flu, chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus, monkeypox, and tuberculosis. Advanced genome sequencing will also be available to identify and monitor new strains of pathogens.
Officials say the lab will also conduct waterborne, vector-borne, and zoonotic disease testing. By decentralising testing, it will help ease the heavy workload currently handled by the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Health experts believe it will allow faster detection of localised outbreaks, enabling authorities to take targeted and timely action.
According to PMC Assistant Health Officer Dr. Vaishali Jadhav, the centre’s goal is to identify disease trends in specific parts of the city and respond swiftly with preventive measures, ensuring Pune is better equipped to handle future health challenges.