Archive for April, 2009

Setting the stage for optimum medical education

Puri, 12-4-09: A national seminar on “Optimum medical education & ethics in clinical practice” has been organised by Vedanta University on 5 April at Bhubaneswar. It marked the launch of the multi-specialty hospital as part of the Vedanta University project near the Puri-Konark marine drive in Orissa. The seminar was quite contextual given the fact that of late there has been a lot of disillusionment in public mind about the quality of medical education, what with so many medical colleges mushrooming. At the same time, with growing public awareness, questions about clinical practices, doctors’ services and the expenses involved are also cropping up now and then. If medical education is to keep up with the ever-expanding frontiers of medical research and clinical technology, something appropriate surely needs to be done. Allied with this is the issue of quality, accessibility and affordability of medical education. These were the issues and concerns that the national seminar sought to address, bringing together some of the stalwarts and leading lights of medical education and profession.

Padma Bibhushan Prof. Dr. M V S Valiathan, world renowned Cardiac Surgeon and Professor of Cardiology presided over the seminar in which Padma Bhushan Prof. Dr. N K Ganguly, Advisor, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India; Dr Vasantha Muthuswamy, Member, Central Ethics Committee on Human Research, UNESCO,UNAIDS & Founder Secretary, Forum for Ethics Review Committees in Asia-Pacific; Dr G D Ravindran, Professor of Medicine & Medical Ethics, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore; Dr S K Sarin, Professor & Director, Gastroenterology, G B Pant Hospital, New Delhi; Dr Omkar Nath Mohanty, Vice Chancellor, Biju Pattnaik University of Technology, Orissa; Jean Mah, Principal & Healthcare Planner, Perkins+Wills Health Design Group were the main speakers. In keeping with the theme of the seminar, presentations were made on topics like Excellence in Medical Education, Ethics in Medical Research, Clinical Ethics and Interdisciplinary Study in Medicine. The interactive seminar was attended by more than a hundred distinguished doctors and educationists.

As expected, the quality of presentations was exceptional and the ideas generated were quite engaging, conforming to the ‘out-of-box solutions’ that Dr Valiathan mentioned in his keynote address. There was a general agreement on the urgent need to make medical education more qualitative, accessible and innovative as well as to make it affordable. Not only medical education needs to be in sync with contemporary and futuristic thinking and practices, the issues of health economy and biomedical or clinical practices also need to be in tune with the social context. The seminar was coordinated by Dr K P Misra, cardiologist of international repute and Dr Dipika Mohanty, the award winning former Director of the Institute of Immunohaematology, ICMR, Mumbai. Among other things, the seminar generated a lot of interest in Vedanta University’s upcoming world class multi-specialty hospital and the school of medical sciences that will be based on the core objectives of service, training and research. 

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Vedanta University to Bring World-Class Medical Care to Orissa

• Vedanta University announces the launch of 500-bed multi-specialty hospital
• Estimated cost is about Rs. 400 crore
• The hospital will commence services in 2011
• High-quality patient care affordable to the common man
• The Not-for-Profit institution is an initiative of the Anil Agarwal Foundation

April 5, Bhubaneswar:  Vedanta University today announced the launch of a world-class teaching and research hospital.  The hospital will address a long standing need for comprehensive healthcare services for the people of the region.

The University hospital, which will be built near the Puri-Konark marine drive, will be distinctive with its world-class facilities and infrastructure.  The hospital will place equal emphasis on patient care, research, and teaching.  It will be staffed by renowned doctors from India and abroad.   A Not-for-Profit institution, the University Hospital is committed to providing high-quality care at a cost affordable by the common man. Commending this initiative, eminent Indian cardiologist Dr. K.P. Misra said “the hospital will serve as a regional hub for critical specialties including cardiology and diabetology. As a teaching and research hospital, it will attract leading researchers and specialists in medical science from around the globe. The University’s research agenda will prioritize public health solutions that address the most prevalent medical issues in the region.”

On the occasion of the launch of the Vedanta University hospital project, a national seminar on “Optimum Medical Education and Ethics in Clinical Practice” was organized at Bhubaneswar.   The national conference was addressed by leaders in medical science of international repute, including Padma Vibhushan Professor M.S. Valiathan and Padma Bhushan Professor N.K. Ganguly.

The conceptual planning and design of the hospital has been prepared by the leading US-based hospital design firm Perkins + Will, who have previously designed state-of-the-art teaching and research hospitals at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at Los Angeles. “The 500-bed multi-specialty hospital will commence during the first phase of the University. Orders for construction have already been placed with Larsen & Toubro Limited,” added Sanjeev Anand Zutshi, Director of the project.

Mr.S.A.Zutshi, Mr.C.V.Krishnan and Dr.K.P.Mishra addressing the media during the launch of Vedanta Hospital Project

The University has already initiated research programs with local relevance.  Dr. Dipika Mohanty, a recipient of the Biju Patnaik award for Excellence in Science and Technology, has begun a Vedanta University-sponsored research project on interventions that can address the disproportionate prevalence of anemia in infants and children of Orissa.

The Vedanta University Hospital is a cornerstone of the institution’s larger commitment to serving public needs.  Students and faculty across disciplines will be encouraged to engage with local challenges, search for solutions that contribute to the development of Orissa, and pursue research priorities that have real impact on the lives of people.  In addition to initiatives in Medicine, the first phase of the University will include schools of Education, Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Management, and Nursing.    The hospital and initial academic programs will begin in 2011.

For further details, please contact:

Kishore Chandra Das

Head, Communications

Contact No. - 9437012258

E-mail id: kishore.das@vedanta.edu.in

Ashis Kumar Acharya

Public Relations Officer

Contact No. - 9937107444

E-mail id: ashis.acharya@vedanta.edu.in

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