Thiruvananthapuram: Construction of the Swasthya Suraksha Block at the prestigious Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), in Thiruvanaanthapuram, being undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, will get underway with the project being launched by Union Minister of for Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Saturday (June 23).
The launch event to be organised at the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies Auditorium, SCTIMST, will have the Union Minister kick starting the development of the Combinational Devices Block and Regional Technical Resource Centre for Health Technology Assessment. He will also inaugurate the Data Centre and release the Silver Jubilee Souvenir of Achutha Menon Centre. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Co-operation, Tourism and Devaswom, Government of Kerala, will preside.
The construction of the Swasthya Suraksha block and installation and commissioning of medical equipment, together costing Rs 300 crore, is expected to be completed by June 2020. CPWD South Zone will execute the program. With this expansion, SCTIMST expects to serve an additional 10,000 In-patients, 15,000 Out-patients and 1,05,000 review out-patient cases a year.
SCTIMST has drawn up a detailed Vision Document and Perspective Plan–Biomedical Technology (2021-2030) for expanding medical devices development technology translation, medical device evaluation, skill upgrade, and green initiatives. The Vision 2030 – Perspective Plan is estimated to cost approximately Rs 350 crore over 10 years, and will focus on artificial organ development, bio-inks, orthotics, internet of things, robotics and in vitro diagnostic devices. SCTIMST aims to develop and transfer 40 innovative medical technologies to Industry, and take another 20 to advanced stages of development during this ten year period.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the Department of Health Research, has sanctioned a 3-year project to the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies at the Institute for developing a Regional Technical Resource Centre for Health Technology Assessment to cover Kerala and neighbouring states. Its prime mandate is to undertake health technology assessment to assist the state and central governments, and to inculcate skills in this emerging discipline.
SCTIMST, which is at the forefront in the promotion and implementation of Information and Communication Technology, has set up a state-of-the-art Data Centre to host a group of servers, storage and networking units for providing round the clock IT services to meet the Institute’s needs. The new facility has been achieved through funding from the Ministry of Electronics and the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, to the tune of about Rs. 12.5 crore.
The Guests of Honour at the function will be P. K. Sreemathy Teacher, MP, Joy Abraham, MP, O. Rajagopal, MLA, Prof. M. S. Valiathan, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology and Sunil Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
M. Chandrasekhar, President of the Institute (Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India), will deliver the special address. Prof. Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST, will welcome the gathering and Dr. P. R. Harikrishna Varma, Head, Biomedical Technology Wing, will propose the vote of thanks.
