Image created by Dr. Michael J. Miller
New technologies and next-generation sequencing at the Direct Relief Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine laboratory, set up at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, have helped reduce the time required to identify bacteria, fungi, and drug-resistant organisms from two to four days to just a few hours.
Recently, a 25-year-old post-transplant patient was saved from septic shock after doctors identified a rare fungal infection in her bloodstream within hours, allowing them to begin appropriate antifungal treatment immediately. This process usually takes days, and rapid diagnosis allowed doctors to start the correct antifungal treatment, preventing organ failure and likely saving her life, Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, Medical Director, DMH.
According to Dr Kelkar, the laboratory is equipped with technologies such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, PCR-based platforms, advanced tuberculosis diagnostics, and next-generation DNA sequencing.
“These tools have helped reduce the time to identify the organism related to a particular infection. Compared to two to three days using conventional methods, diagnosis is rapid, and test results are delivered within two to three hours. This allows doctors to move from broad, empirical treatment to precise, targeted therapy much earlier,” he said.
According to hospital data, the laboratory conducted 6,722 advanced diagnostic tests in 2024 and 5,069 tests in 2025, indicating an increasing reliance on rapid diagnostics, particularly for critically ill, immunocompromised, and drug-resistant infection patients.
The lab uses advanced molecular diagnostic technologies to detect infections much faster than conventional laboratory methods. While routine tests at the facility cost between Rs 150 and Rs 1,500, specialised molecular and sequencing-based tests range from Rs 2,400 to Rs 18,000.
Reducing overall treatment costs
Doctors at DMH explain that although some of these tests appear expensive, they often reduce overall treatment costs by shortening hospital stays, preventing complications, and avoiding unnecessary or ineffective medications.
“Our faster turnaround times mean patients receive life-saving treatment without delay. We are turning impossible cases into success stories every day,” Dr Kelkar said, adding that previously these complex infections at times were a challenge to diagnose and treat.
DMH is among the few centres in western India that have been diagnosing and treating drug-resistant tuberculosis like XDR, MDR, and PDR TB, Dr Kelkar said. He also said that to address the high burden of infectious diseases in rural and semi-urban areas, the DMH laboratory is also training and mentoring staff from hospitals in Latur and Sambhajinagar, to assist in extending advanced infectious disease care beyond urban centres.
The hospital’s centre anchors a growing regional network for advanced infection diagnostics and care across Western India and is supported by satellite hospitals in Latur, Dharashiv, and Sambhajinagar.
“We regularly receive patient samples from across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli, Beed, Parbhani, and Sambhajinagar — as well as from other states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka,” Dr Kelkar said. This network addresses a region with a high burden of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, influenza, Covid-19, pneumonia, and tropical infections.