Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR has been entrusted to develop cheaper strips for testing diabetes.

Speaking to media persons in New Delhi today at a function to mark the Centenary of ICMR, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, at present, these strips for sugar testing are being imported and each strip costs around 30 rupees.

He said that Diabetes is highly prevalent in the country and our scientists are capable to develop strips indigenously.

Lauding the achievements of ICMR, the Health Minister said, Research Institutes under the ICMR have also done commendable work in indigenously developing testing kits and vaccine for H1 N1 virus.

Mr. Azad informed that the Prime Minister has constituted a Group of Ministers, GoM, to suggest ways to tackle the Japanese Encephalitis at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

He said a number of Ministries and Departments, at the Centre and State, will have to be involved to tackle the disease.

The first meeting of GoM will be held soon to discuss the situation and suggest the ways and means and a new policy in this regard.

Earlier, Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, while releasing a commemorative stamp on 100 years of ICMR, said that his Ministry will extend every technological support in the Medical field.

He said communication and technology plays an important role to treat patients in remote areas of the country.

33 scientists and researchers were presented awards on this occasion for their outstanding contribution in the innovative research in different fields.