Division of Clinical Medicine has the clinical trial set up in two hospitals

1. Infectious Diseases Hospital with in-patient facilities for
   1. diseases surveillance
   2. clinical trials on diarrhoeal diseases in all age groups.
       
2. Dr. B. C. Roy Memorial Hospital for Children where we have out-patient facilities for
   1. surveillance and
   2. in-patient facilities for clinical trials for diarrheal diseases and typhoid fever in children.

Scientists are engaged for targeting improved management of different types of diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid fever. Several studies on disease progression, complications, atypical clinical presentations, pathogenesis and complications were also conducted.

Vaccine trials

1. Phase I trial of Measles Aerosol Vaccine ,
2. Phase II trial on Oral Cholera Vaccine VA 1.3 and
3. Phase IIIA trial on Rotavirus Vaccine were performed by this division.

Inter-Divisional collaborative research activities of Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology and Immunology divisions were also supported by us.

This division is actively involve for Human Resource Development by conducting teaching cum training programmes and workshops for under-graduate and post-graduate medical students, International & National WHO Fellows, medical professionals from International Universities, health professionals of National level and Professional Bodies of National & International level. Divisional scientists act as co-guide for dissertation works of many post-graduate students.

We provide services by

1. operating a Diarrhea Treatment & Training Unit at Children’s Hospital, since 1984
2. providing laboratory and other related clinico-epidemiological information to the State Health Authorities
3. conducting epidemic investigations for diarrhoeal diseases and unknown fever in different states of India

Several research projects on ORT with standard WHO formulation in Indian perspective were conducted by this division. Better formulations of ORS eg. rice-based ORS, pop-rice based ORS, glycine fortified ORS, hypo-osmolar or reduced osmolar ORS were also studied. We conducted supplementation studies of Zinc, Zinc + Vitamin A, Zinc + other micronutrients & vitamins as an adjunct therapy to ORS among children.

Documentation of the efficacies of

1. Doxycycline, Norfloxacin, Erythromycin, Azithromycin and Cefuroxime for the treatment of cholera
2. Nalidixic Acid, Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Furazolidone for the treatment of dysentery
3. Ciprofloxacin, Furazolidone , Ceftriaxone for the treatment of multi-drug resistant typhoid fever were the achievements of this division.

In patient based systemic surveillance of diarrheal diseases in Infectious Diseases Hospital is one of the major activities of this division. We are planning to have an out patient based systemic surveillance of diarrheal diseases at Children’s Hospital. Presently conducting a trial of resistant starch and low osmolarity ORS in children with diarrhea. We are also in search for better probiotics for the management of diarrhea.