Port Blair, Feb 03: Parliamentary committee (Rajya Sabha) on petitions visited the Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR) at Dollygunj on February 1st 2014. The committee comprised Shri A V Swamy, M P (RS), Odisha and other Senior MPs, accompanied by Shri K S Nagi, Advisor (Parliament), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GOI, Senior Officials and officials from the Secretariat (RS).
Dr P Vijayachari, Director of the Centre extended a warm welcome and briefed the committee about the laboratories and activities of the Centre in particular diagnostic services provided to these islands, in particular viral diseases, bacterial infections and parasitic infections.
Dr Vijayachari also highlighted that the centre is undertaking quality control assessment of water samples of potable water and from other sources in terms of bacteriological analysis being received from different agencies from different parts of these islands. Later the committee visited the WHO accredited Leptospirosis Laboratories, Tuberculosis–drug sensitivity testing laboratory, Entomology laboratory and the newly established Bio-safety level (BSL)-3 facilities. Through his presentation Dr Vijayachari highlighted that the centre is actively collaborating with the Directorate of Health Services, A & N administration for research and control of Leptospirosis, mosquito borne infections viz. dengue, chikungunya and lymphatic filariasis and other public health activities from time to time.
It was learnt that the committee was impressed with the state of art facilities available with the centre, maintained to high standards and were satisfied with the services being provided to the people of the islands. The activities undertaken and the services being provided to various National Programmes would be of immense benefit to the community. The infrastructure for handling fatal pathogens is of the high standards.
