Expenditure on insurance, consultations, the multitude of tests ordered by the doctor, and very expensive drugs make the treatment of illness a great burden. Should the patient need admission to a hospital and, worse, an intensive care unit, the load becomes almost unbearable. Medical research has moved from the domain of the single keen observer to that of highly qualified experts working in laboratories containing costly equipment. The budget for these projects now runs into lakhs or crores of rupees.