Amrita Hospital is among the only three hospitals in South India – and the only one from Kerala – to be nominated as ACCT by ICMR

The 1,300-bed Amrita Hospital in Kochi has been designated as Advanced Center for Clinical Trials (ACCT) by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country’s apex body for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. Amrita Hospital is among the only three hospitals in South India – and the only one from Kerala – to be nominated as ACCT by ICMR.

Dr. Jaideep Menon, Consultant, Adult Cardiology at Amrita Hospital who will lead the Center, said: “It is a matter of great honor and pride for us that we have been selected as an advanced center for clinical trials by ICMR, which is a testimony to our heritage of medical excellence going back more than two decades. The ongoing pandemic has taught us the importance of a strong healthcare system backed by advanced centers where trials of various drugs and vaccines can be successfully conducted. As ICMR-designated Advance Center for Clinical Trials, we look forward to playing a pivotal role in bolstering the country’s healthcare system and reduce the disease burden.”

ICMR had last year called for Expression of Interest (EOI) for participation in the Indian Clinical Trial & Education Network (INTENT), a pan-India network of institutes with proven excellence in clinical research. The network would conduct large-scale, multi-centric clinical trials in a timely and well-regulated manner. Government and private medical colleges and institutes as well as hospitals with experience of conducting randomized controlled trials were invited to be nominated as ACCT. ICMR has now declared a total of 12 hospitals and healthcare institutes from all parts of the country as ACCT.

Research priorities of INTENT include reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health, communicable and noncommunicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, environmental health, health system research, healthcare financing, digital health, occupational health, vulnerable people’s health and oral health.

Amrita Hospital is the foremost medical research facility in Kerala with an intense focus on medical research. It is equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities and is considered among the best hospitals in South India for conducting medical and clinical trials.

About Amrita Hospital

www.amritahospitals.org

Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (Amrita Hospital), based in Kochi, is one of the premier hospitals in South Asia. Founded in 1998 by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (known worldwide as AMMA), it offers a full range of primary and specialty care medical services. AMMA’s vision of providing advanced medical care to the poor and disadvantaged was the inspiration for Amrita Hospital, which today is a 1100-bed (490 units) tertiary referral and teaching hospital, serving more than 10 lakh outpatients and more than 70,000 inpatients annually.

The massive healthcare infrastructure with over 3.33 million sq.ft. of built-up area, spread over 125 acres of land, supports a daily patient volume of approximately 3500 outpatients with 95 percent inpatient occupancy. There are 12 superspeciality departments, 45 other departments, 4500 support staff and 670 faculty members. The hospital’s extensive infrastructure offers facilities comprising 28 modern operating theatres, 275 equipped intensive-care beds, a fully computerized and networked Hospital Information System (HIS), a fully digital radiology department, 17 NABL accredited clinical laboratories and 24/7 telemedicine service.

In 2015, South Asia’s first ever Bilateral Hand Transplant Surgery was done at Amrita Hospital. The same year, Amrita Hospital won the British Medical Journal Award for the Best Surgical Team in South Asia. The Amrita team won the award for its two successful double hand transplants, the first and the second bilateral hand transplants in this region.