The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) in Bengaluru has received its single largest private donation of ₹425 crore, which will be used to set up a postgraduate medical school along with a multispeciality 800-bed hospital on its Bengaluru campus.
The project will be in line with global examples of integrating science, engineering and medicine under a single institution, creating “physician-scientists.” IISc. inked a partnership with philanthropists Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, and Radha and N.S. Parthasarathy, who collectively donated the amount.
Addressing mediapersons in Bengaluru on Monday, IISc. Director Govindan Rangarajan said the new venture would be named IISc. Medical School and Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital.
“The academic centrepiece of this initiative will be an integrated dual degree MD-PhD programme aimed at creating a new breed of physician-scientists, who will pursue a career in clinical research to develop new treatments and healthcare solutions, driven by a bench-to-bedside philosophy. They will be trained simultaneously in the hospital as well as in the science and engineering laboratories at IISc.,” he said.
The building of the 800-bed multispeciality hospital, catering to clinical training and research activities of the academic programme, has been designed by Ahmedabad-based company Archi Medes (I) Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Work on the project will start in June 2022, and the hospital will be operational by the end of 2024.
According to National Medical Commission norms, students admitted in specific MD/MS and DM/MCh programmes will also be trained in appropriate sections of the hospital along with their classroom and laboratory training. The hospital will also implement advanced digital technologies and solutions, such as integrated Electronic Medical Record systems and a comprehensive telemedicine suite with haptics interfaces, the director explained.
Asked if the hospital will be accessible to the public, Prof. Rangarajan said it will be open for all but will not be a charitable facility. “It will have a mixture of beds — private as well as insurance beds where patients can avail themselves of benefits under the government insurance schemes,” he said. The PG medical school will have an intake of 70 students and will start admission from 2025, he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Bagchis, Ms. Susmita said, “In a country like ours, medical research and delivery cannot be left to the Government or the corporate sector alone. With IISc., we find a shared vision. It is an institution with depth, competence, leadership, and capacity to deliver in scale.”
Ms. Radha said IISc.’s larger vision to integrate science, engineering, and medicine in one campus is a new concept in India. “IISc.’s global reputation and network will attract outstanding talent to create breakthroughs in research and delivery of medicine that must impact the masses,” she said.
- The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) in Bengaluru has received its single largest private donation of ₹425 crore, which will be used to set up a postgraduate medical school along with a multispeciality 800-bed hospital on its Bengaluru campus
- The project will be in line with global examples of integrating science, engineering and medicine under a single institution, creating “physician-scientists”
- According to National Medical Commission norms, students admitted in specific MD/MS and DM/MCh programmes will also be trained in appropriate sections of the hospital along with their classroom and laboratory training
