Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, APRIL 19
Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science, Dr Harsh Vardhan visited the DBT Healthcare Laboratory & Research Center at the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) on Tuesday.
The union minister, while visiting the research center, also inaugurated the Paragonimiasis Research Laboratory in the presence of State Health and Family Welfare Minister, P Longon. The Paragonimiasis Research Laboratory Project at Naga Hospital has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the hospital, he was received by Longon and other high ranking officials from the department and doctors of NHAK. After inaugurating the Paragonimiasis Research Laboratory, Dr Vardhan was taken to various laboratory rooms, and expressed his satisfaction.
Longon also expressed his appreciation to Dr Vardhan for his visit to the State and especially for inaugurating Paragonimiasis Research Laboratory, Kohima.
He further said that under Dr Vardhan’s leadership, the medical and research field in the state had progressed immensely. “After setting up the laboratory, a total of 1, 43,337 number of various laboratory tests have been done till date,” he said.
Interacting with media persons at NHAK premises, the union minister expressed his desire to push Nagaland forward in every developmental aspect.
“We want Nagaland to grow in everything, be it in terms of facilities or other basic necessities. However, whatever improvement has to be done, it has to be done by the local administration. The centre can only help, guide and support from outside,” he said adding that the actual implementation of developmental activities is a state subject and not the centre.
Replying to a query on the proposed medical college in Kohima, the union minister, who earlier held the portfolio of Health & Family Welfare, stated that the said project is already on, with the sanction almost been approved and soon to be finalized.
The union minister also gave assurance to sincerely look into the issues being raised during his two-day visit, and further to try his best to resolve them.
“Whatever issues have been raised before me in the last 24 hours, I will try to apply my mind most sincerely, most meticulously towards them, and try to see how best we can resolve those issues,”, Harsh Vardhan assured.
One among the many issues raised by the State’s Minister P. Longon is to provide an animal house facility for research purposes in the State. This proposal was tendered citing reasons that there is no animal house facility in the State or nearby areas.
The DBT Healthcare laboratory and Research Centre, since its inauguration on 29th October 2012, has brought major advancement in the field of research.
Today, the healthcare centre has become a referral diagnostic centre in the State where patients are availing diagnostics facilities without being referred outside State.
It now provides internship to Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology students, and even B.Sc and M.Sc students. The laboratory has also been recognized for research work which facilitates students for obtaining Ph. degree covering Nagaland University, Assam University, Guwahati University and NEHU.
Some of the research works completed since the setting up of the laboratory are, survey of Scrub Typhus in various districts of Nagaland using IgM ELISA assay and survey of Paragonimiasis in various districts of Nagaland.
Research on blood group antigens in Naga population has also been completed, including screening for cervical cancer and preliminary work on nasopharygeal carcinoma among others.
