Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Nadda to Lay Foundation Stone for High-Altitude Medicine Centre
A new research centre is being planned in Keylong, in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.
Health Minister J P Nadda is expected to mark the start of its construction on Monday.
The Indian Council of Medical Research is setting it up to study health challenges in high mountains.
Researchers will look at how altitude, weather, and isolation affect people’s health.
They will also study illnesses, nutrition, mental health, and care for mothers and children.
The centre plans to explore telemedicine and drones to help reach people in remote places.
It will work with government and medical institutions.
The goal is to improve healthcare and prepare for disasters in the Himalayan region.
Health Minister J P Nadda is scheduled to lay the foundation stone on Monday in Keylong, Himachal Pradesh.
The Indian Council of Medical Research is establishing the centre in Lahaul and Spiti district.
The facility is described as India’s first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine and public-health research.
Research will cover high-altitude physiology, climate-sensitive diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, and disaster medicine.
Plans include digital health, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics, and public-health surveillance for remote areas.
- Who
- Union Health Minister J P Nadda and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
- What
- The foundation stone will be laid for the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research.
- When
- Monday; no calendar date is specified.
- Where
- Keylong, in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district.
- Why
- To strengthen biomedical research and healthcare preparedness for high-altitude and remote Himalayan communities.
- Establishing institution
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- Location
- Keylong, Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh
- Research focus
- High-altitude medicine and public-health research
- Claimed distinction
- The country’s first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine and public-health research
- Technology areas
- Digital health platforms, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics, and real-time public-health surveillance
- Planned collaborators
- Armed Forces Medical Services, national research institutions, and the Himachal Pradesh government