Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences poised to launch path-breaking healthcare systems

Tirupati: The Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) here, which has made rapid strides in qualitative medical research through the famed Sri Balaji Arogya Vara Prasadini Scheme (SBAVPS), is now poised to launch path-breaking initiatives in patient healthcare systems.

Towards this end, it is constructing a Centre for Advanced Research (CfAR) exclusively for the purpose of research and the project has been receiving liberal donations. It has attracted donations totalling Rs.287 crore till date and the corpus is expected to touch the Rs.300 crore mark very soon, according to SVIMS Director cum Vice Chancellor Dr TS Ravikumar.

In an exclusive interview to The Hans India, Dr Ravikumar said that the focus would be on discoveries of systems related to patientcare based on four pillars: better health of the population, better care for the individual, affordable cost, and highest quality.

The CfAR building was being purpose-built to accommodate six themes: Infection, Inflammation and Immunity; Genes, Environment and Behaviour; Ageing, Degeneration Disorders and Regenerative Medicine (including stem cells); Injuries; Pregnancy, perinatal diseases, adolescence and Bioinformatics; Biotechnology; and Nanoscience.

He said a major donation, totalling Rs.12 crore, was provided by Rajiv Bajaj of Vital Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, under SBAVPS, which was used for constructing three floors and building key infrastructure and essential equipment.

The CfAR building already has viral lab, bioinformatics and biotechnology research wings. New scientists have joined the organization for research in molecular virology. One more scientist will work on brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and ageing disorders.

The director said: “We will establish collaboration for each of the floors and that’s how the research enterprise will be established. We have been utilising the naming opportunity also which SBAVPS allows for donations of more than Rs.1 crore.

Efforts are on to bring more funds for qualitative research, Centre for heart diseases, Centre for lung diseases as heart and lung problems and cancers are the top three killers. All the research will be focussed on these aspects”, Dr Ravikumar said.

The Director has been taking steps to create a cancer registry by pushing ‘RayalaCan’ for Rayalaseema cancer registry, considering there is no such registry in state.

Dr Ravikumar said: “Our research will focus on bringing quality care in every aspect. I have been in constant touch with several donors requesting them to consider SVIMS while donating and I hope by March end we will get more funds for SBAVPS.”

According to him, donors will get up to 150 percent income tax exemption under section 35(1)(ii) and therefore it is one of the best schemes available for people to donate for altruistic purposes. For any Institute of Excellence, the engine for growth would be research and SBAVPS has been helping SVIMS in this direction, he said.