ICMR to set up 20 centres for research

Stating that research output in the country was poor, she said, “Even though India has sufficient clinical data, research in the country is unsatisfactory. We need to change the way public health research is being carried out and that is possible only if institutes expand their research. The entire country looks up to Tamil Nadu as an example. We have been able to achieve many milestones.” She also added that even countries like Sri Lanka are way ahead in terms of research – both in terms of quantity and quality.

“We have a lot of clinical material, institutions and resources. Yet we are not contributing to the global knowledge. Public Health Research needs a disciplinary team and community medicine departments in medical colleges should expand their research to become multi-disciplinary. Instead of merely focussing on the data, the research should be community based.

Unless you talk to the community, and ask them what their issues are, the research output will not help them much,” she added.

Hoping to bring the centres of excellence on a par with those in Harvard University and others, she added that representatives from the Council are approaching the universities to promote research. A total of 19,183 Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate students were conferred with their degrees in Medicine, Dentistry, AYUSH and Allied Health Science Courses on the occasion.