It has been reported that the US Consulate General in Mumbai has named Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, as the authorized medical/health examination facility for the US Consulate General, for those people seeking visas to travel to the US. Officials at the CDC (Centre for Disease Control, USA), Immigrant Visa Unit and US Consulate General, Mumbai together came to the conclusion that Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi has/had the required facilities and the personnel to undertake medical examination of all the applicants of the visas.
Applicants from the state of Kerala are likely to benefit the most from this move as they would not have to travel to Mumbai or Chennai to get the required tests done. A separate area in the medical centre has been demarcated for the medical tests and the examination and this will be used for the medical and health check up of the applicants. Also, there will be a designated panel of medical doctors and physicians who are highly qualified and thorough professionals well versed in instructions of the Centre for Disease Control, USA, and have the approval of the United States Public Health Service and the US Consulate General Mumbai. This designated panel will conduct the health check-ups.
The Amritha TB laboratory also has the equipment to screen, diagnose and treat TB, as well as the medical solution, tools, medicines, etc. to provide to the applicants who are identified as suffering from it.
CDC has provided elaborate training to the designated doctors and the designated laboratory staff for the purpose of TB testing, evaluation/diagnosis and treatment. AIMS has now also been approved by the CDC to undertake AFB sputum smear and culture tests for applicants of visas who require further medical investigation.
