Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates new research building at ICMR, Agra

The Director General Prof. Balram Bhargava appreciated the work being carried out at ICMR NJIL&OMD in the field of mycobacterial research. The DG, ICMR also remarked that ICMR has been very robust in managing COVID-19 by an intense diagnosis of COVID-19 across the ICMR institute labs which has facilitated the prompt management of the pandemic. It is the effort of ICMR which brought the vaccine for COVID-19 with 81% efficacy.

The Director of the institute, Dr.Shripad A. Patil briefed about the patient care activities related to leprosy and TB at the institute and also about the research facilities in the new building at ICMR-NJIL&OMD.

The new building is named after Institute's first Director, Dr.K.V. Desikan, who also graced the occasion by his presence. The Director of ICMR- Regional Medical Research Centre, Gorakhpur, Dr.Rajni Kant and Director BMHRC, Dr Prabha Desikan were also present on the occasion. On this ocassion, people from local administration, MP, State ministers, Vice-chancellors and Principals of Agra University, S N Medical college and other institutes were also present.

About the Institute:

ICMR- National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra was established in 1967 by the Japan Leprosy Mission for Asia (JALMA) and was handed over to the Indian Council of Medical Research in 1976. ICMR-NJIL&OMD carries out basic and applied research on leprosy, TB and other myeobacterial diseases in the following thrust areas: (i) Early diagnosis and treatment, transmission dynamics (ü) prevention of deformities in leprosy (ii) field studies (iv) operational research (v) laboratory research on mycobacterial diseases and MIP vaccine to leprosy.