Dedicates upgraded National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi and a Temporary Regional Branch of NCDC to the nation
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for NCDC Regional Branch in Assam, State branches in 6 States (Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal and Mizoram) and BSL-3 labs in 2 States (Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand) virtually at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). He also inaugurated a temporary NCDC Regional branch in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. These new NCDC branches and BSL-3 labs will strengthen the country’s capacity for pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance with One Health approach. He also dedicated Auditorium and Library block as a part of Upgraded NCDC, Delhi to the nation and released several technical documents.
Expressing his elation at the event, Dr Mandaviya said that these regional branches of NCDC will help in combating diseases with regional variations like CCHF, KFD, Scrub typhus. Further, State branches of NCDC and BSL-3 laboratory once functional will augment the capacity of region/state for preparedness and response especially for outbreak prone diseases by high-risk pathogens. “The health infrastructure facilities inaugurated today, or for those whose foundation stone has been laid, will substantially boost our regional, district and block level healthcare infrastructure and will further augment the surveillance, diagnostics and public health preparedness and response capacity for any impending outbreak or pandemic in future”, he said.
The Union Health Minister said that “pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance anchored in strong health systems that reach all people, especially the most vulnerable, are crucial to ensure better protection from major disease outbreaks.” Emphasising that these institutions under NCDC will be in the interest of the local populace, he stated that “the Government of India is committed towards strengthening the surveillance of infectious diseases and outbreak response through strengthening of NCDC”.
Applauding NCDC for its contributions, Dr Mandaviya said, “India has performed better than many other countries in fighting the COVID pandemic. NCDC has been at the forefront in instituting containment measures including community surveillance, contact tracing and response in coordination with the State and local governments.” He further added NCDC is the nodal agency for Public Health Surveillance and Response, epidemiological support including outbreak investigations in addition to diagnostic capacities for bacterial, viral, zoonotic infections and parasitic diseases.
The Union Health Minister said, “Healthcare professionals and practitioners are like defence forces; they can never be in a complacent mood. They have to always be on the alert. There can be no lean period for our healthcare army, we have to strengthen and sharpen our skills for timely surveillance and disease detection.”
Dr Mandaviya informed that a forward-looking strategy has been envisaged for the NCDC’s evolution through which it is planned to establish 30 NCDC state branches, 5 NCDC regional branches and 10 BSL-3 laboratories in phase-wise manner for decentralising the presence of NCDC. He further said that NCDC’s decentralised presence will boost the capability of states to respond to the state specific public health challenges both for communicable, non-communicable diseases and One Health needs.
Dr Mandaviya commended the efforts of state governments for taking these initiatives forward and emphasized the need for collective and collaborative efforts between the Centre and States to enhance the country’s capacity in tackling future Pandemics. He also cautioned all the stakeholders of any slack in performing their duty.
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