Employ gene chip as diagnostic tool: Kalam
Thursday, 21 September 2006, 19:30 IST
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Thiruvananthapuram: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Thursday encouraged a Kerala research institute to employ the gene chip as a diagnostic and treatment tool for cardiac and neuro diseases. The president, who was speaking at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology here, asked the institute to work in partnership with the International Centre for Biomedical Sciences and Technology. Kalam, on a 15-hour visit to the city, was received by Governor R.L. Bhatia and Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. "Indians are susceptible to coronary heart diseases - that too at a relatively young age. Gene chip has tremendous potential in identifying genetic variations associated with heart disease," Kalam said. He also urged doctors to help provide better healthcare facilities to those living below the poverty line. "Doctors should spend at least a year in villages and see that they treat the poor." In another function, the president presented the Sree Chithra Tirunal award to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair. Nair was Kalam's colleague at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Speaking on the occasion Kalam said space research should now become an industry. "Setbacks will not put us back, instead it would give more courage to our scientists," said Kalam. Later taking questions from children, Kalam urged them to concentrate on their studies. He also interacted with the inmates of the Shantigiri Ashram on the outskirts of the city. The president leaves for Kanyakumari Friday after spending the night at Raj Bhavan here.
Source: IANS
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