Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre

Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences-AIMS
Public
Industry Healthcare
Founded 1999
Headquarters Kochi, Kerala, India
Key people
 Mata Amritanandamayi, Patron Founder
Ron Gottsegen, Administrative Director
Prem Nair, Medical Director
Revenue Charitable Foundation
Number of employees
 5000 +
Slogan touching lives
Website AIMS-Kochi

The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AIMS) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to establishing a centre of healthcare excellence and improving the well being of the community through quality programs of preventive medicine, medical education and research. The hospital is located at Eddapally, Kochi, India. It is also a 1,450-bed hospital. It was inspired by Mata Amritanandamayi and inaugurated on 17 May 1998 by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the presence of Mata Amritanandamayi. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math is its parent organisation. Ron Gottsegen is the Executive Director and Prem Nair is the Medical Director of AIMS.

AIMS is part of the Health Sciences campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University). The hospital has received the ISO 9001:2008 accreditation and also enjoys accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its laboratories and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers NABH for the hospital overall.

Overview

Main Block

Amrita Institute of Medical Science (AIMS) offers facilities comprising 25 modern operating theatres, 210 equipped intensive-care beds, a fully computerised and networked Hospital Information System (HIS), a fully digital radiology department, a 24/7 telemedicine service and a clinical laboratory. This healthcare infrastructure with over 3,330,000 sq. ft of built-up area spread over 125 acres of land supports a daily patient volume of about 3000 outpatients and with a 95 percent inpatient occupancy.


Facilities

The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences is the adjunct to the term "new universalism" coined by the World Health Organization. This healthcare infrastructure with over 33,30,000 ft² of built-up area spread over 125 acres of land supports a daily patient volume of about 3000 outpatients.

AIMS is engaged in creating a research department including biotechnology, nanotechnology, and implant research. It has received grants from the Indian government and is part of the Indo-U.S. collaboration.

Research and Development

Development of nanomedicine with ability to kill drug resistant cancer

On 16 October 2012, AIMS announced that it had developed a nanomedicine for treating drug resistant cancer cells.[1]

Awards

National Healthcare Excellence Award 2013

In December 2013, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) awarded AIMS with the ‘National Healthcare Excellence Award 2013’ for the best hospital in the country.[2] The award is in recognition of the hospital's outstanding work toward the "betterment of healthcare" and its efficient and timely service.[3]

Controversies

Nurses' strike demanding wage hike

In December 2011, nurses at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre went on strike against the hospital management, demanding a wage hike. This was part of a series of statewide strikes by nurses throughout Kerala.[4] The strike was called when leaders of the United Nurses' Association claimed that they were beaten by members of the hospital staff. Later, police was summoned to stop the protests, and they resorted to batons to disperse the protestors. Management claimed that the operations would not be affected even if the nurses continued their indefinite strike.[5] They stated that hundreds of nursing graduates who were Amritanandamayi's devotees were waiting to server patients at the hospital.[6] Finally a consensus was reached between the hospital management and the protestors, wherein the charges against the protestors would be withdrawn by the hospital management and their demand for wage hike would be considered.[7]

Allegation of illegal drug trials

In August 2012 Indiavision television channel reported that the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre and many hospitals in Kerala were testing new drugs on patients selected through free medical camps. Kerala minister for health, V. S. Sivakumar said the incident would be investigated. The accusations against AIMS could never be confirmed.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "AIMS develops new drug for leukaemia". Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "AIMS Receives 'Best Hospital' Award". Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "AIMS Receives 'Best Hospital' Award". Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Kerala nurses’ strike over pay intensifies pay spreads in". Khaleejtimes.com. 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  5. ↑ "NATIONAL / KERALA : Nurses at Amrita on strike". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  6. ↑ "Nurses' strike at Amrita continues". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2011-12-08.
  7. ↑ "Cities / Kochi : Nurses return to work at Kolenchery medical college". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-08-08.

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