Ramadoss to inaugurate Rs 92 cr Diarrhoeal Research Centre

New Delhi, June 8 (UNI) Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will dedicate to the nation tomorrow the Rs 92 crore, state-of-the-art Diarrhoeal Research and Control Centre set up in Kolkata.

The four-storied DRCC, built over a sprawling 6,300 sq metre area, is equipped with a most modern facility for conducting molecular and biological research activities.

During his stay, Dr Ramadoss will also inaugurate the International Symposium on Cholera and Other Diarrhoeal diseases.

In addition, the Minister will participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Central Food Laboratory and visit an exhibition in Science City at Salt Lake.

The centre, located in the campus of the Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital, Kolkata, is now fully functional and work is on for prevention of emerging diarrhoeal diseases.

The need to set up a centre in India was felt following outbreak of a diarrhoeal epidemic in which a new strain of cholera bacteria (Vibrio Cholerae 0139) was identified.

A proposal requesting assistance was made to the Japanese Government. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is the official agency implementing technical cooperation projects, interacted with the Indian Government and Indian Council for Medical Research for preparing a project plan.

As a result, a technical cooperation project was launched in 1998 titled 'Project for Prevention of Emerging Diarrhoeal Diseases Phase-I'. The first phase of the project from 1998-2003 was extended for a further five years to fully achieve the objectives.

The DRCC will supplement the efforts of National Institute of Cholera&Enteric Diseases (NICED) in combatting the disease.

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