AIIMS signs MoU with IIT Bhubaneswar on artificial intelligence

To integrate medical science with technology for providing a better and more equipped healthcare service, Bhubaneswar based AIIMS and IIT have signed an MoU to promote academic and research collaboration in various areas of health and technology.

Both the institutes have agreed to extend collaboration in advancing research for public health applications like early diagnosis of disease and outbreaks, artificial intelligence and data analytics, biomedical engineering and technology, disease prediction modelling, digital health, development of tools, equipment and strategies for diagnostic and therapeutic use.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas and IIT Bhubaneswar director Shreepad Karmalkar have signed the agreement on Tuesday evening here at AIIMS.

This endeavour will aid in finding solutions to the current challenges in the public health and patient treatment in the region.

Application of cutting-edge technology into healthcare will have immense translational value in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, said Biswas.

The collaboration will focus on application of artificial intelligence with relation to various health disorders, material development, app development, wearable sensor development, image-based diagnostics, AI & amp; data sciences enabled smart health monitoring system, and early warning systems among others, Biswas said.

AIIMS executive director Biswas has extended gratitude to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the support to make this MoU a successful one.

IIT Bhubaneswar director Shreepad Karmalkar said that several faculties of both the institutions have been looking at possible mutual partnerships for some time.

The societal effect of these two institutions in Odisha and throughout the nation will increase as a result of this MoU, which will combine all of these efforts and give them a powerful boost.

"We thank Education Minister Pradhan ji for encouraging the creation of this MoU. We shall now endeavour to ensure that this MoU produces concrete results," stated the IIT Bhubaneswar director.

The institutes will also focus on dedicated laboratory development. An advanced research centre called Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology which will largely include biomedical signal processing, advanced characterisation, detector fabrication for imaging, additive manufacturing for designed materials, bio tracker and biosensor development for mental health care, is also planned under this collaboration.

In addition, both the institutes have agreed to facilitate faculty and student exchange programmes and reorientation/training courses that will bring academic excellence in their respective fields.

The institutes also agreed to develop and offer joint academic programmes involving technology and healthcare as well as academic credit sharing mechanism, sources said.

Both the institutes will focus on dedicated facility development and explore the use of advanced medical equipment for artificial intelligence enabled patient care services.

This will provide joint academic programmes that include short summer courses for MBBS and B. Tech students, and research dissertation and thesis work for doctoral (PHD/M. Tech) students.