Bhubaneswar/IBNS: Union Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for the ICMR School of Public Health and BSL III Laboratory in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

He also inaugurated the annex building of the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC).

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mandaviya said “India has the potential to be a global leader in terms of research. This has been proved during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.”

Expressing his appreciation for the ICMR scientists, he stated that “India rolled out its own indigenous COVID-19 vaccine within a month of the introduction of the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world”.

Union Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar were also present at the event.

The Union health minister also highlighted the need for joint collaboration and cooperation between government and private research facilities for enhancing the scope and output of medical research.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his gratitude to ICMR for their contribution towards making an indigenous vaccine and their continued efforts towards genome sequencing of new variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Pradhan said India has witnessed a paradigm shift in healthcare under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also highlighted that the number of medical colleges in Odisha have increased to 10 at present from only 3 before 2014.

Congratulating ICMR on their achievements, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar recalled that ICMR mobile BSL labs are being utilized by other countries like Bhutan in their management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also appreciated ICMR-RMRC scientists who supported the Prime Minister’s clarion call for TB-Mukt Bharat and came forward to become Nikshay Mitras.

The Annex building has been constructed for high-end laboratory and administrative purposes.