The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has planned to open up four centres at Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai for diagnosing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) samples and function as temporary laboratory testing units.

Till now, NIV at Pune and NCD at New Delhi have been functioning as laboratories testing centres and examining suspected samples of SARS. With several samples pouring in from different parts of the country there is an urgent need for more centres.

The NIV Director Dr. A. C. Mishra said that two people from each centre are being trained at NIV, Pune. The centre at Pune will be opened at National AIDS Research Institute.