Department of Microbiology

Introduction

The Department of Microbiology of MRMC was established in the year 1965 under the stewardship of the great pioneer in Medical Microbiology, Late Dr. Ananthnarayan.

The department is well equipped and updated as per MCI regulations and RGUHS curriculum to train both undergraduate and postgraduate students. It has its own library with more than 300 books. The museum is equipped with charts and models to help students understand the subject through 3D presentations.

The department caters to various microbiological investigation needs including aerobic and anaerobic culture & sensitivity, fungal culture investigations, and facilities for diagnosis of tuberculosis and malaria. Serological tests for various viral infections like Hepatitis, Influenza, Dengue fever, Chikungunya, HIV, etc., are also available using updated techniques.

The department is affiliated with the RNTCP programme, performing regular diagnosis using fluorescent microscopy.

M.D. postgraduate course was started in 1989 under HOD Dr. Ramakanth Kulkarni. Two P.G. students are admitted every year. The course was recognized by MCI in 1994 under the leadership of Dr. Gangane Ravindranath.

Two state-level CME programs were conducted — one in 1996 under Dr. Ramakanth Kulkarni, and another in 2007 under Dr. Gangane Ravindranath.

The department played a key role in the NACO programme as the State Reference Laboratory for HIV and AIDS (Gulbarga), under the leadership of Dr. Gangane Ravindranath (2006–2009). It conducted extensive fieldwork, sentinel surveys for HIV/AIDS prevalence, and organized external quality assurance training programs for VCTC, PPTCT, Blood Bank staff, and ICTCs of North Karnataka health institutions.

Dr. Gangane Ravindranath was elected as President and Dr. R.C. Kanta as Secretary of the Indian Association of Medical Microbiology, Karnataka Chapter (IAMM-KC) for the year 2007–08. On 11th January 2008, IAMM-KC was hosted by the Department of Microbiology at MRMC, under the chairmanship of Dr. Gangane Ravindranath and secretarial support of Dr. R.C. Kanta.

Dr. Gangane Ravindranath also represented India at the first International American Society of Microbiology Conference organized by WHO, held in Beijing, China in April 2008.

Apart from academics, the department is also involved in social service activities like supporting the visually impaired and orphans. On Children's Day 2014, a welfare program was organized to provide beddings and warm clothes to those in need.

Academic Programme

The department has a well-equipped research laboratory in the college for postgraduate training in various specialties including aerobic & anaerobic bacteriology, serology, mycology, and parasitology.

A diagnostic laboratory is actively run by the department for Basaveshwar Teaching & General Hospital and Sri Sangameshwar Hospital. Various research projects are undertaken every year and published in reputed National and International journals.

Research & Publications

1. Microbiological profile of neonatal septicaemia and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern at Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital attached to M.R. Medical College, Gulbarga – Dr. Preeti M. Huggi, Guide – Dr. Baswaraj S. Patil, Adm. 2011–12.
2. Microbiological profile of ventilator associated pneumonia and their antibiogram at Basaveshwar Teaching & General Hospital (tertiary care hospital attached to M.R. Medical College), Gulbarga – Dr. Roopa C, Guide – Dr. Ravindranath Gangane, Adm. 2011–12.
3. Aerobic bacteriological study of chronic suppurative otitis media & their antibiogram at Basaveshwar Teaching & General Hospital (tertiary care hospital attached to M.R. Medical College), Gulbarga – Dr. Sharanabasava, Guide – Dr. Baswaraj Patil, Adm. 2012–13.
4. Bacteriological profile of bacterial meningitis at tertiary care hospital in North Karnataka – Dr. Ravindranath Gangane, Int. J. Pharm Bio Sci. 2013 July; 4(3):1356–1361.
5. Prevalence, bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of symptomatic & asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy – Dr. Asharani, Guide – Dr. Baswaraj Patil, Adm. 2013–14.
6. Isolation and speciation of Candida in various clinical specimens and their antifungal susceptibility patterns in Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital, Gulbarga – Dr. Aditi Garg, Guide – Dr. Ravindranath Gangane, Adm. 2013–14.
7. Study of Methicillin and inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus – Dr. Javeria Firdous, Guide – Dr. Ravindranath Gangane, Adm. 2014–15.
8. Isolation, characterization and antibiogram of Enterococcus species from various clinical specimens at Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital (tertiary care hospital attached to M.R. Medical College), Gulbarga – Dr. Meharunnisa Indikar, Guide – Dr. C.D. Kadganchi, Adm. 2014–15.
9. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates from clinical specimens – Dr. Ravindranath Gangane, Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, Vol. 6 No. 1, Jan–Mar 2015, pp. 149–152.

UG Programme

• Theory Classes – 120 hours
• Practical Classes – 60 hours
• Tutorials – 10 hours
• Student Seminars – 06 sessions

PG Programme

• Theory Classes
• Journal Reviews & Seminars
• Culture Seminars
• Case Discussions

Infrastructure

The department is well equipped with over 125 Microscopes, Deep Freezers, Hot air ovens, Autoclaves, Cooling Centrifuge, ELISA, C02 incubator, BACTEC,Laminar flow,Turbidometry etc. Various aerobic and anaerobic cultures, fungal cultures, serological diagnosis are carried out on a regular basis from clinical samples as well as research projects.

Dept. Library contains more than 300 books.

The department is well equipped to train the postgraduate students with good number of the clinical samples for training and research.