Establishment of Model Rural Health Research Units (MRHRUs) in the States

INTRODUCTION

During the 12th plan period (2012-13 to 2016-17), government conceptualized and introduced a central sector umbrella scheme of developing infrastructure for promotion of health research across the country. The umbrella scheme has 02 sub-schemes namely (i) establishing Multidisciplinary Research Units (MRUs) in government medical colleges/research institutes, and (ii) establishing Model Rural Health Research Units (MRHRUs). The scheme was extended from 2017-18 to 2019-20 to be co-terminus with the period of 14th Finance Commission Period. Subsequently, the Department of Expenditure vide its notification no.42(02)/PF-II/2014 dated 10.01.2020 approved an interim extension to all ongoing schemes till 31.03.2021 or till the date of recommendations of 15th Finance Commission came into effect, whichever was earlier.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME

• Creating infrastructure for transfer of technology to the rural level for improving quality of health services to rural population.


• Ensuring an interface between the New Technology Developers (Researchers in Medical institutions; State or Centre), Health System Operators (Centre or State Health Services) and the Beneficiaries (Communities in rural areas).


• Ensuring geographical spread of health research infrastructure in the country.

MRHRUs shall work under the mentorship of one of the institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an autonomous council of Department of Health Research. The Head of the Mentoring Institute shall cause one of the senior scientists of the Institute to be designated as Nodal Officer of MRHRU to oversee its overall functioning. So far, 23 MRHRUs have been established in different States and Union Territories.

APPROVAL MECHANISM

1. Proposals for setting up MRHRUs to be submitted by the State Health Department to the Department of Health Research as per the prescribed format.


2. These will be considered by the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) of Experts for its recommendations. Composition of TEC is available at detailed guideline.


3. Proposals recommended by TEC will be considered by the Approval Committee for approval. Composition of the Approval Committee is available at detailed guideline.

FUNDING NORMS

1. Approved MRHRUs will be eligible for onetime non-recurring grant-in-aid for (i) civil construction, and


2. purchase of equipment’s, and recurring grant for (a) salaries, (b) contingencies/consumables/training etc.


3. Grants-in-aid for salaries, contingencies/consumables/training etc. would be disbursed from the 2nd year of the approval of the MRHRU. However, if an MRHRU is in position to undertake research from the very first year of approval and its case is recommended by LRAC/Mentoring Institute, request will be considered by DHR on merit basis for release of recurring grant from the 1st year itself.


4. Purchase of equipment by the MRHRU would be need based and as per the recommendations of LRAC/Mentoring Institute.


5. Grant-in-aid for each MRHRU shall be released to the respective mentoring institute of the ICMR.


6. State Government will be required to provide requisite Land (free of cost) for establishing MRHRU measuring 620 sq mtrs. in the close vicinity of Primary Health Centre(PHC)/Community Health Centre(CHC)


7. No regular staff would be engaged at the MRHRUs and these labs will be managed by contractual staff only.


8. Units approved before 01.04.2021 will also continue to receive grants-in-aid as per the norms prescribed in these guidelines.

OPERATIONAL MECHANISM

The Mentoring Institute would devise suitable internal mechanism for speedy execution of the civil works, procurement & installation of equipments, selection & posting of requisite core staff with the active involvement of the State Health Department in consultation with DHR. This would involve:

1. A tripartite Memorandum of Agreement to be signed between the Department of Health Research, State Health Department and the Mentoring Institute of ICMR.


2. Finalisation of layouts/maps for establishing MRHRU


3. Tendering and hiring agencies for construction/renovation of space provided for the setting up of MRHRU.


4. Tendering and procuring equipment


5. Engaging contractual staff for MRHRU.

MRHRU GUIDELINES AND FORMATS

Formats are available under MRHRU link in Download Section

Concerned Officer dealing with MRHRU Scheme (Administration)

S.No	Name	Designation	Email ID	Contact No.
1.	Richa Khoda	Joint Secretary	richa[dot]khoda[at]gov[dot]in	-
2.	Dharkat R. Luikang	Deputy Secretary	dharkat[at]nic[dot]in	011-23736089
3.	Sunil Pant	Project Manager	sunil[dotpant[at]gov[dotin	9650060475
4.	Rajesh Gaur	Project Manager	rajeshgaur[dot]9[at]gmail[dot]com	9999594969
5.	G. Sankara Narayanan	Finance Manager	gs[dotnarayanan3004[at]gov[dotin	9891994896
6.	Ajay Dua	Finance Manager	ajayraj[dot]dua[at]govcontractor[dot]in	8882207000
7.	Divya Yadav	Administrative Officer	divya[dot]yadav96[at]govcontractor[dot]in	9318346511
8.	Aseema Sharma	Office Assistant	Aseema[dot]65[at]nic[dot]in	9717495040
9.	Amit Kumar	Office Assistant	ptamitvashist[at]gmail[dot]com	9992011138
10.	Govind Sharan	D.E.O	mohfwdhrmru[at]gmail[dot]com	8800635855
11.	Yugmeet	MTS	-	9560348334

Concerned Officer dealing with MRHRU Scheme (Scientific)

S.No	Name	Designation	Email ID	Contact No.	Zone
1.	Dr. Aparna Mukherjee	Scientist-F	aparna[dot]sinha[dot]deb[at]icmr[dot]gov[dot]in	9968408999	-
2.	Dr. Tanu Anand	Scientist-E	tanu[dot]anand[at]icmr[dot]gov[dot]in	9811028964	-
3.	Dr. Alka Turuk	Scientist-C	Turuk[dot]alka[at]icmr[dot]gov[dot]in	8082134835	North-East, East and West and Central Zone
4.	Dr. Deepak Malik	Scientist-C	malik[dot]deepak87[at]govcontractor[dot]in	9896736302	North and South Zone
7.	R.Muniasamy	Principal Technical Officer	muniasamy[dot]hq[at]icmr[dot]gov[dot]in	9818645628	-
8.	Jitendar Kumar	Data Scientist	jitendar[dot]kumar[at]govcontractor[dot]in	8376909569	-
9.	Dipankar Barui	Project Research Scientist-I	dipankarbarui70[at]gmail[dot]com	9800679090	-