The Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu commended the contribution of scientists and frontline workers from DIPAS (Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and advised them to intensify their research to effectively combat any such pandemic in the future.

Around 25 scientists and technicians from DIPAS were invited to Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas by the Vice President. They were accompanied by DRDO Chairman, Dr G Satheesh Reddy.

Interacting with them, Naidu said that the pandemic has triggered unprecedented health crises and severely impacted lives and livelihoods across the world. Lauding DIPAS and other DRDO labs for rising to the occasion and developing various indigenous products for treatment and management of COVID-19, he said that in the wake of the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, it is important to be ever vigilant to effectively tackle any future threats.

Dr Satheesh Reddy briefed the Vice President about various products and equipment developed indigenously by DRDO labs for treatment and management of COVID-19.