Four Bio-Safety Level-three laboratories (BSL-3) would be set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to deal with any eruption of avian flu. The three labs, which would be funded by the United States, would be set up at New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune.
ICMR intends to bring the centres at functional level within the current financial year. An international consultancy firm has been roped in for setting up the centres at a cost ranging between Rs 15 crores to Rs 20 crores. One such centre is already operative in the central zone at Bhopal.
The centre in Chennai would be beneficial for people associated with poultry in Tamil Nadu. As the state is the largest producer of poultry in Southern India, Chennai has been chosen as the centre. The centre here would be located at the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC). Pune Centre would be the largest of the lot.
ICMR has also set up an ICMR School of Public Health at Ambattur, near Chennai, which will offer a two-year PG course in epidemiology. The institute as entered an agreement with Boston University and an American University to arrange for this specialised training.
