Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences


Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, also referred to as Amrita Hospital, is a super-specialty quaternary care health center and medical school in Kochi, India. It is one of the largest medical facilities in the country with a total built-up area of over 3.33 million sq.ft, spread over 125 acres of land. It is a 1,450-bed hospital which supports a daily patient volume of about 3,000 outpatients with 95 percent inpatient occupancy. 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. Dr..Vishal Marwaha is the Principal/Dean of AIMS.
AIMS is part of the Health Sciences campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The hospital has received the accreditation and also enjoys accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories for its laboratories and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers NABH for the hospital overall. In April 2019, AIMS was ranked the fifth best medical college in India by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in their annual NIRF rankings.

Overview

Amrita Institute of Medical Science offers facilities comprising 25 modern operating theatres, 210 equipped intensive-care beds, a fully computerised and networked Hospital Information System, 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.
Foundation stone for a second medical school and 2,000 bed hospital campus in Delhi National capital region was laid on May 9, 2016. This will be the second healthcare campus and medical school."

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.

Awards

National Healthcare Excellence Award 2013

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

National Healthcare Excellence Awards 2016

In September 2016, the Federation Of India Chamber Of Commerce & Industry awarded AIMS with two 'Nation Healthcare Excellence Awards'. AIMS won the awards for the categories of 'Patient Safety' and 'Innovation in Medical Technology.' The 'Innovation in Medical Technology' award was accepted by Dr. Mahesh Kappanayil for developing a 3D printing model in congenital heart surgery. The 'Patient Safety' award was accepted by Dr. Sanjeev Singh for his work on patient safety and antibiotic stewardship.

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. 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. They stated that hundreds of nursing graduates who were Amritanandamayi's devotees were waiting to server patients at the hospital. 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.

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 the hospital were subsequently found to be false.

Rankings

Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences was ranked 15th among medical colleges in India in 2019 by Outlook India. The Week ranked Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, 16th among medical colleges in India in 2019. Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences was ranked 7th among medical college in India by NIRF.