WHO picks it up as rare Centre of Excellence.

Delhi Liver Institute gets Global Profile

New Delhi, December 29:  The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi becomes the first WHO collaborating centre on Liver Diseases in the world. This makes Delhi government run autonomous ILBS one of the few global centres of excellence for the treatment of liver diseases.

The recognition by WHO is seen as a tribute to its Director, Dr. S.K. Sarin, a liver expert of global renown. World Health Organization (WHO) has designated ILBS as its collaborating centre on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases. It also makes this institute the second global collaborating centre on Viral Hepatitis. The only other WHOCC in Hepatitis is the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.

WHO collaborating centres are institutions such as research institutes, parts of universities or academies, which are designated by the Director-General of WHO to carry out activities in support of the Organization’s programmes.

As a result of this WHO recognition, ILBS would be able to work directly with the world health body and collaborate with it in developing strategies and protocols for prevention, diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis and liver diseases. The centre would also help to train and develop skilled manpower and human resource at a global scale.

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), is a Deemed to be University and India’s first NABH and NABL Accredited autonomous institute for the treatment of liver, pancreas, gall bladder and kidney related disorders. In less than five years of being operational, ILBS has established itself as a leader in the country by having done 177 liver transplants till date, the largest in any government hospital in India. It has done pioneering research in the field of liver regeneration and stem cells to support patients who are not able to get transplants.

This feather in the cap of ILBS has come after several years of thorough assessment by several expert panels and committees. So the designation as CCs is regarded as a great achievement and a rare recognition to the institute. That ILBS got this recognition in just five years of its operation speaks a volume about its excellence.

Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India,  said, ‘We are convinced that with unique contribution of this new WHO CC, which is already a recognised excellence hub in Asia and beyond, we will be able to save more lives and prevent more people worldwide from putting their lives at risk.’

Dr Sarin said, ‘Viral hepatitis and liver diseases are amongst the greatest killers in the world. Asia houses over seventy five percent of all such cases of hepatitis B and C and liver cancer and India has close to 60 million such patients. By being designated as WHOCC in this field, research being done at ILBS could potentially benefit millions of people around the world.’

Talking to Meditoll editor-in-chief Dhananjay, Dr. Shantanu Dubey , Assistant Head Operations (medical), ILBS said, ‘ this event endows ILBS with a great recognition. It also reflects the reputation of Dr. Sarin among the liver experts of the world. It is well deserved recognition for the institute.’