Gingrich Says "Boost NIH Biomed Research"

The National Institutes of Health's budget for biomedical researchshould be doubled, according to US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who added that the NIH should also be more aggressive in using information sciences to spread news about discoveries in medicine and science.

It should become more of an Internet and information age-oriented system, with total transparency so that people know what is being applied for, what is available and what kind of research is going on, he said. A constantly updated NIH Internet site should be developed, he said; these solutions will provide a way of empowering people with diseases to take some responsibility for their own care.

Also, doctors and health care providers should be informed about new breakthrough drugs and treatments no more than 12-18 months after they are discovered, he said, so that they are not practising medicine that is out-of-date.