He told reporters here on the sidelines of the 14th convocation of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) in the City that several pharmaceutical companies with the private sector’s funding are developing the vaccine for bird flu, swine flu and (A) H1N1 strains of influenza. The research has reached the human clinical trial stage and if all goes well, the vaccine will be launched in a month, he added.
Rural postings
Azad urged the graduates to opt for postings in rural areas which face acute shortage of medical practitioners, especially in the primary health sub-centres. “The Union government has proposed to provide incentives for rural postings with a 10 to 30 per cent weightage given to the candidates in the marks they score in the national entrance exam for the postgraduate courses,” he said.
Expressing concern over lack of mental health professionals in the country, he said there is a shortage of about 8,000 psychiatrists, 17,000 clinical psychologists and 23,000 psychiatric social workers.
As many as 68 students received their degrees at the convocation and eight were presented meritorious awards.
DH News Service