The union minister for health and family welfare, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad has congratulated the scientists lead by the director general, Indian Council for Medical research (ICMR), Dr V M Katoch for the success they have had in developing many affordable technologies for health care in the country.The minister stated that the work of health research can only be done by scientists, and not by bureaucrats. He stated that he was proud that the targets that he had given to the ICMR for development of various technologies have been achieved in time and some even before time.

Azad made particular reference to the development of vaccines and testing reagents for the swine flu which had gripped the country some years back; at that time the health minister noted that the country was importing the vaccines and testing reagents. In addition there was a paucity of testing labs in the country. Since then, themMinister stated, the country had made significant progress as we now have about 40 labs, with at least one in each state. The country also produces its own vaccines and reagents, he noted.

The health minister highlighted the achievements of ICMR in developing various technologies such as the JE vaccine, Thalassemia diagnostic kit, AV Magni-Visualiser screening device for cervical cancer, and the recently launched three different kits for detection of food borne pathogens, diagnosing Iron Deficiency Anaemia, and Vitamin-A Deficiency.

Present at the occasion were Mr Lov Verma, health secretary, Dr V M Katoch, DG ICMR, N Sanyal, secretary, AAYUSH, Prof Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, and other senior officials from the ministry of health and family welfare and scientists from ICMR.