Keylong, October 12: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday laid the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.
The centre will study the health effects of low oxygen, extreme cold and changing climate on people living in the Himalayan region, including tribal communities, and on armed forces personnel posted at high altitude.
Joint effort with the armed forces
The centre is being set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with the Armed Forces Medical Services. AIIMS Bilaspur will take part by studying the effect of high-altitude conditions on patients visiting the region.
Nadda said systematic research was needed to identify region-specific health risks, develop suitable interventions and strengthen preventive care in remote Himalayan and border areas.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said the armed forces’ experience of operating at extreme altitudes, combined with ICMR’s research capability, would help develop better medical solutions.
From research to protocols
ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl, who is also Secretary of the Department of Health Research, said Keylong would be a place where the laboratory and the community meet, with local people as partners in research.
Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services, said the centre’s work would feed into practical protocols for acclimatisation, early detection and treatment for soldiers deployed in high-altitude areas.
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut also attended the event.
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