BHU Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory awarded NABL accreditation

Banaras Hindu University’s (BHU) Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) has been awarded an accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) under the ISO 15189:2012 standards for medical labs. Tests conducted at NABL-accredited labs are accepted globally.

BHU VRDL, operating under the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), is the first and only government facility of this kind to have received an NABL accreditation.

BHU VRDL has played a “crucial” role in viral disease surveillance and diagnostics, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. According to an official statement, the laboratory conducted 9 lakh tests during the pandemic. The lab is also responsible for conducting 8,000 tests regarding dengue, COVID-19, Japanese encephalitis, and others in the past one-and-a-half years.

Also read BHU launches 63 SWAYAM programmes, registrations open

The BHU VRDL team

The BHU VRDL team included Gopal Nath, principal investigator; Pradyot Prakash, co-principal investigator; along with Sudhir Kumar Singh, Alka Shukla, Manoj Kumar, Mayank Gangwar, Deepak Kumar, Sonam Rastogi, Digvijay Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Ashish R Singh, and Ajay Kumar.

Also read BHU PG admission 2025 schedule out; first seat allotment list on July 14

The NABL accreditation for the BHU lab showcases IMS-BHU's “unwavering dedication” to upholding international standards in laboratory diagnostics and public health services, the university said. Nath highlighted the contribution of the laboratory in catering to the needs of patients in the Purvanchal region in Uttar Pradesh.

SN Sankhwar, director of IMS, congratulated VRDL at BHU for the certification. He stated that the lab has been successful in serving public health, with constant upgradation of its facilities and infrastructure.