HARVARD MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL AND SRI RAMACHANDRA UNIVERSITY TO SET UP CENTRES FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND CLINICAL QUALITY – PACE MAKERS TO POOR HEART PATIENTS AT SRMC INAUGURATED

Chennai,
27th July 2007.

Harvard Medical International and its associate Sri Ramachandra University which enter their second decade of alliance today are planning new initiatives and collaborations. Speaking at a commemorative function here today, Dr.Robert K.Crone, Chief Executive Officer, Harvard Medical International called upon the two organizations to work towards regional centres of excellence in medical education, clinical quality and bio-medical research. He pointed out that nearly a million patients will come to India in the next decade for health care facilities and half a million Americans will go to other countries for treatment. HMI and SRU will work together to help meet these changing needs and increasing demands, he said.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. S.Rangaswami said "to plan our future programmes keeping in mind the four universal values in healthcare – quality, equity, relevance and cost effectiveness, we need to keep in mind the rapidly evolving scenarios in healthcare practice and education. With these in focus, we hope to introduce innovative programmes in education, clinical quality and research in the ensuing decade of the collaboration".
Elaborating these plans Dr.Krishna Seshadri, Vice-President, Sri Ramachandra Health International said, SRU in association with HMI will develop a centre for medical education to help faculty from all over the region to be trained in curriculum development, teaching-learning-assessment methods, use of simulation and other technology in medical education. A centre for clinical quality will be created to help develop modules to improve quality in healthcare providers and train them in clinical quality and assist organizations with accreditation. SRU is embarking on an ambitious programme to develop bio-medical research as one of its top priorities for the next decade with HMI expertise.

To mark the occasion, Mrs.Radha Venkatachalam, Chief Executive Director, Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, inaugurated the Heartbeat International – Rotary – Sri Ramachandra – Chennai Pacemaker Bank, to provide pacemakers to indigent patients and thus a new lease of life to them. "This will enable Sri Ramachandra Cardiac Care Centre to lengthen and improve the quality of lives of many poor and deserving heart patients" she said.

Dr.P.C.Kesavan Kutty Nayar, President, Medical Council of India, who, inaugurated the Sri Ramachandra Harvard conference on Bridging the Health Care Education Gap, said that by 2015 all other countries except India, China, Russia and Brazil will have shortage of medical personnel. With 52% of population below 25 years India has a great opportunity to meet this shortage by upgrading our modules of medical education.

The Chancellor of SRU, Mr.V.R.Venkataachalam honoured Dr.Robert K.Crone and other distinguished guests for their role in strengthening the close bond between HMI and SRU. Pro Chancellor Prof T.K.Parthasarathy, Dean of Faculties Prof.K.V.Somasundaram, and other dignitaries participated in the function.