The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday to establish research partnerships and advance scientific cooperation.
In this city’s Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), the agreement was signed by Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Science & Technology.
Through faculty exchange programs, the MOU also aims to strengthen scientific cooperation.
Singh also inaugurated the Association of Physicians of India (API) chapter of AFMC, Pune, and the first annual conference of API-AFMS Continuing Medical Education (CME) on emerging trends in the practice of medicine as part of the medical college’s year-long platinum jubilee celebrations.
According to Singh, the idea for a distinct AFMC originated with Dr. BC Roy, who was credited with fostering the API. Singh described AFMC, Pune, as the first Central Institute of Medical Education founded much before AIIMS, Delhi, came into being. He added that the union of API and AFMC has historical significance as a shared legacy and is a worthy monument to Dr. BC Roy, a first-generation doctor.
The Narendra Modi government, according to Singh, has worked to integrate various government organs, including ministries and departments with various associations, institutions of higher and specialized learning, and industry, particularly in the healthcare sector. Singh claimed that the era of working in silos is over.
Thanks to massive mass screening programs and preventative healthcare, India will become a developed economy. India had a pivotal leadership role during COVID-19 when it accomplished the extraordinary accomplishment of administering over 220 crore vaccinations via a digital platform (COWIN), and the process is still ongoing.
The minister stated in his opening remarks at the conference that India could manufacture two DNA and one nasal vaccine in just two years under the direction of Prime Minister Modi.
According to Singh, during the past 50 years or more, there has been a shift in the therapeutic and preventive techniques currently available to us and throughout the entire disease spectrum.
He noted that life expectancy has increased to almost 70 years of age. After the 1980s, there was globalization or the so-called “democratization” of diseases, which led to the emergence of lifestyle diseases such as coronary diseases, etc.
According to Singh, the MoU would support groundbreaking new research in fields like genomics that are relevant to lifestyle disorders and newly developing conditions like malignant cancer.
“Biotechnology would be essential for Amritkaal’s economy and for elevating India to a leading global power. In the past nine years, the biotechnology industry has experienced remarkable expansion, and India is currently ranked among the top 12 biotechnology locations in the world.
Similarly, he noted that more than 6,000 biotech start-ups had emerged in the past nine years, up from 52 or so in 2014.
DBT Secretary Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale also addressed the event. He later revealed to reporters that the Dengue vaccine’s phase-three trials are underwa
“The person’s safety is of the utmost concern. One of the processes found in the dengue virus is antibody enhancement. On the second infection, the virus strengthens its antibody and reacts strongly. We must conduct a severe analysis of this, he continued.
