The formal inauguration of the Inter University Centre for Biomedical Research (IUCBR), a decade-old project envisaged by the Mahatma Gandhi University will be held on Sunday. The Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will dedicate the first phase of the Centre, which includes Centre for Communicable diseases (Control and Prevention) and the out patient department of the proposed super specialty hospital.
Speaking to media persons here, Vice Chancellor Babu Sebastian, the project comprising the research centre and the super specialty hospital, which will be set up in the 15-acre campus at Thalappady in Puthuppally assembly segment, will be implemented in a phased manner over a five-year period.
The University had thought of the project initially as a super specialty hospital for clinical practice of students of the School of Medical Education, which has been incorporated into the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS). The project remained dormant for the next few years though the State government had sanctioned assistance of Rs. 5 crore.
The project received a boost in 2010, when Nabard approved the project. The then authorities of the University got physician M.S. Valyathan to revise the project, with more importance to research. The result was the Inter University Bio Medical Centre. In the latest avatar, the authorities have incorporated the hospital concept along with the research centre component.
According to Dr. Sebastian, during the first phase, the Centre for Communicable Disease (Control and Prevention) and the outpatient division of the super speciality hospital will function from the four storied building with a built up area of 50,000 sq.ft, developed at a cost of Rs. 9.5 crore. The OP services will commence on Sunday itself and there will be two doctors and supporting staff members in the initial stage. M.G. University will undertake the monitoring of OP section in the initial stage. But this will be taken over by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) by mid-July, he said.
Though the project had envisaged the functioning of Out Patient section alone during the first year of operation, it is likely to commence the in-patient division having a capacity of 50 beds by August 15, Dr Sebastian said. “The Cabinet will soon consider the proposal for creating required vacancies in this regard. The medical and paramedical staff members will be from DHS as well,” he said.
The Rs. 30 crore project is expected to be completed within five years. According to university authorities, the IUCBR would also be beneficial for all the research students under the university. The new hospital, set up in a total area of 15 acres of land, will be upgraded to 100 beds in the second phase.
Meanwhile, the Save University Forum, a Left leaning organisation, came down heavily on the move of the authorities to starty a super specialty hospital in the land owned by the University. In a statement they said the move went against the decisions of the university syndicate and the concept of Inter University Centres.
The project, which is to be set up in the 15-acre campus at Thalappady, will be implemented in a phased manner over a five-year period.
