The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a Bill that seeks to accord special status to six more institutes of pharmaceutical education and research as well as set up a council for these institutes.
The current bill, which will amend the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998, that established the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), at Mohali in Punjab, will encourage high quality research as it accords the status of Institutions of National Importance to six more institutes at Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Rae Bareli.
Replying to the debate on the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya countered the Opposition over a range of health issues including ‘vaccine hesitancy’.
Hitting out at Opposition members, the Health Minister alleged that vaccine hesitancy was created by by using terms like “Modi vaccine” and “BJP vaccine”.
Mr. Mandaviya said the Narendra Modi government had prioritised the health sector and stated that 20 crore COVID vaccine doses are available with the States at this stage. He also informed that two more Indian vaccines could be in use soon if their third phase trial data, under study now, is approved.
The Health Minister said while India manufactured various vaccines in large quantities and supplied them to the world, it used to lack in research.
Participating in the debate, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called for ensuring drug security by ensuring the production of associated phramaceutical ingredients (API) that are imported from countries like China.
BSP’s Kunwar Danish Ali and Supriya Sule of NCP both stressed on the need for increasing expenditure on research and development in the laboratories.
