Hyderabad, Oct. 6: With instances of infectious and water-borne diseases rising in the state, the century-old Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) at Narayanguda here is planning to launch a new project with 14 mobile laboratories to provide diagnostic services at the doorsteps. These mobile labs will monitor water quality, test food for toxicity and diagnose diseases. Nine mobile labs will start functioning next week and the rest will be operational by October-end. The UK-based Department for International Development will financially support the project. Of the Rs 8.5 crore earmarked for the three-year scheme, Rs 2.9 crore has been released. Infrastructure development for the mobile testing facilities and training for the engineering staff have commenced. To speed up its implementation, the director of IPM director, Mr P. Sucharita Murthy, held discussions with the principal secretaries of the health department, Mr P.K. Agarwal and Mr L.V. Subramanyam and joint secretary and DFID in-charge Mr Mohammed Ariz Ahmad. The mobile labs will be equipped with the latest gadgets to test water and food samples on the spot. The staff in the mobile labs will check samples collected from seven places daily, particularly in tribal, rural, slum areas and other underserved areas across the state. The laboratories will have the latest equipment and serve online reports after verification of the samples, the chief water analyst of IPM, Mr G. Chennakesavulu, said. The analysis of the samples is carried out at various levels from raw water to bottled water and similarly food samples from roadside eateries will also be tested. In addition to the existing 16 labs under the purview of the IPM across the state, it plans to introduce seven more comprehensive laboratories. With the setting up of the seven new labs, each district will have one comprehensive lab to test water, food quality and for disease diagnosis. On an average, the IPM receives around 250 samples daily for water quality testing. The existing 16 labs under IPM include one central lab, four regional labs, eight exclusive water quality monitoring labs and three Department of Public Health (DPH) labs. Nallakunta-based Fever Hospital officials informed that as many as 800 cases are reported every day at the outpatient facility and of them 50 are admitted to the hospital. "Definitely there is an increase in monsoon-related diseases reported. Of the total number of cases, 80 per cent reported are viral fever cases and the rest dysentery, typhoid and malaria," the hospital superintendent, Mr E.P. Prasad confirmed.