SREE CHITRA TIRUNAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL SCIENCE

            Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute  for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram and its fore runner, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Medical Centre have twenty years of combined existence. The institute inherited its name from the Maharaja Sree Chitra Tirunal, erstwhile  ruler  of the Travancore state. The objectives of the institution as defined in the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Science & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram Act were the development of biochemical engineering and technology, demonstration of high standard of patient care and organisation of integrated training programmes. The commencement of the Act in 1981 was a major mile stone in the history of the institution. The significance of the new experiment in integrating medical science and technology was recognised by the Government of India and legislation was brought to make the medical centre an institution of National importance with the status of a University.

            The institute has three campus in Thiruvananthapuram, which house its hospital, technology wing and residential units. The hospital has 200 beds and serves as a tertiary referral centre for cardio-vascular, thoracic and neurological diseases. The staff are highly qualified and the departments have up-to-date facilities for diagnosis and  treatment, including Doppler Echo Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterrization  with digital subtraction angiography, CT scan, MRI facility, radiological procedures, balloon angioplasty and laser angioplasty, surgery for intra cranialvascular lesions, and open heart surgery for congenital and acquired diseases of the  heart. The recently started comprehensive epilepsy care programme provides precise diagnosis, optimal drug therapy and appropriate counselling to patients with epilepsy etc. free of charge to poor patients, and a half rates to low income groups who constitute 40% of the total.

            The technology wing is located at the Satelmond palace campus, 8 KM from the hospital, it consists of a series laboratories for research and medical technology.

            The hospital and the technology wings have separate libraries, which subscribe  to over 300 journals and maintains an excellent collection of books in the areas off interest of the institute. INTERNET facility is made available in the library through the research and education network of National Informatics Centre.

            As an institution of national importance the institution has the status of a University and offers regular training programmes leading to DM & Mch degrees in Cardiovascular and neurological disciplines and Ph.D  in medical and allied sciences and biomedical technology. The institute also conducts post doctoral certificate courses in anaesthesiology  and radiology. As 18 month course leading  to the degree of Master of Public Health has commenced from 1997 academic  sessions.

            The institute has developed a technology for blood bas in conformity with international standards. Blood bags are already produced being commercially by a joint sector company and the Pubic sector company, Hindustan latex Limited. Two other companies have also been licensed to produce blood bags  - one each in West Bengal and New Delhi as blood bags are manufactured only by a handful of companies throughout the world.

            A tilting disc heart valve developed by the institute over a 10 year period is currently being manufactured and marketed in collaboration with South India Textile Research Association Coimbatore. A vascular graft was developed and its clinical trial has begun.

            The biomedical research in bio-materials and medical sciences is also conducted. The research programmes of the institute are varied and existing.

            The Institute started a new initiation in rural health care in 1996. Advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services are offered to rural population around the village of Perumbavoor in Central Kerala through local charitable hospitals.

            Named after the late Chief Minister Sri. C.Achutha Menon  the centre is the third wing of the institute. It’s spheres of activities comprises research and training in Public Health and in those  disciplines that are crucial for formulating health policy such as health economics, epidemiology etc. Young as it is Sree Chitra Institute can hope to preserve the excellence and escape the usual fate only to extend that it generates ideas that respond to the changing demands of medicines and health care technology in the country. Herein lies the challenge as well as the opportunity for the institute.