New Virology Diagnostic Labs and Universal Health Assurance Mission in India
New Virology Diagnostic Labs and Universal Health Assurance Mission: Countering Medical Threats
The outbreak of the Ebola virus has made it imperative for countries worldwide to set up testing facilities. Along with this are other health threats such as Swine flu and Avian flu. Dengue is also a major threat in India. Considering these factors, timely action is needed to bolster the health infrastructure of the State.
With this in mind, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the formation of state-of-the-art virology diagnostic labs in 120 districts of the country by 2015. In 2009, the Swine flu struck India and there were only two labs namely the National Institute of Virology at Pune and the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi to test for the disease. When Avian flu struck India, again there were few resources for coping with the pandemic. Now Ebola has reared its ugly and lethal head again and much more is needed to counter this threat.
“India has no trouble in screening Ebola, because we could identify and segregate the individuals who could have been exposed to the virus. Isolation facilities are provided at airports, but if there were to be an epidemic similar to the 2009 swine flu outbreak, our systems would be burdened. It is to address this situation that the scheme to have a virology laboratory in 120 districts has been launched,” a senior Ministry official was quoted as having said, as per media reports.
As part of this programme, around 10 regional labs will be set up in PGI Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry and AIIMS. These units will be under the guidance of the Indian Council of Medical Research. 27 albs and 120 district level labs will be operational in established and prime hospitals by the year 2015.
The existing Model Rural Health Research Units will also be improved to enhance the coverage of health services and early detection of the disease. “The MRHR units will be set up under ICMR in collaboration with the local primary centres under the State administration,” the official announced, as per media reports.
A Universal Health Assurance Mission has also been announced and the central government has also stated that the unique health insurance scheme will be part of the mission. "The health insurance scheme of the UHAM is poised to become the world's largest public health insurance programme. At present, health insurance touches about 25 percent of population. We will spread the population of the insured rapidly, resulting in sharp fall in premium rates and many consumer benefits," the health minster was quoted as saying.
The autonomous UHAM agency will be formed to provide complete protection of those that have been insured, the Minister also announced. Health research is another area where the central government has taken new initiatives. With new diseases constantly on the rise, experimental research is needed so that new medicines can be developed to counter the threat. Many mental as well as physical diseases have no known cure. If research can develop, this would change overnight. The benefits to humanity are tremendous. Clinical research funding bodies may want to remember this.
