Centre planning to set up National Public Health Museum soon: Report

The Centre is in the process of setting up a National Public Health Museum to showcase models, specimens and studies related to public health, a report by Mint on Monday said. The main idea behind it is to educate children, students and the public on health-related issues. This would be the first of its kind museum in India.

The plan is to "spread awareness and sensitise public, school and college students, bureaucrats, people's representatives and doctors, public health specialists from various cadres on public health, national health programs or policies, their progress, achievements and future path using modern museology principles", an official told Mint.

The report further added that the Covid-19 pandemic has made the Centre realise the importance of public health. The museum will give information related to the origin of diseases and their cures. Also, it will have a section for the environment, sanitation, disaster management and water.

"All major health programs to be displayed through specimens, models, pamphlets, flipcharts, audio-visual aids etc. Although, the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare in Delhi and the National Institute of Public Health Training and Research Mumbai have a smaller version of the public health museums, the one which has been proposed is a bigger version to be developed in Kolkata," the official added.

In the project, the ministry of health is expected to collaborate with the ministry of culture.

Currently, the only such public health museum in India is at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. However, it is restricted to the public.