HYDERABAD: The Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) celebrated 25 years of service with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday. The sports icon interacted and inspired the patients, attendants and the AIG staff before addressing a gathering in the auditorium.
This was followed by the master blaster participating in an interactive session with Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, chairman, AIG hospital.
Over the past 25 years, AIG has evolved from an outpatient medical centre to one of the world’s largest hospitals. The hospital’s in-patient services started in 1994 and expanded in 2004 when a 300-bedded hospital was started in Somajiguda.
Over 25,00,000 patients with gastrointestinal problems have been treated during this period. In addition to this, the hospital is also committed to community services. Over one crore people have been screened for gastrointestinal disorders through their community or rural screening programmes. Free gastrointestinal camps have been held in specialised vans, fitted with all types of equipment so that endoscopy, endoscopic surgery, ultrasound and other specialised procedures can be done even in remote rural areas connected via satellite link to the main hospital.
The hospital is involved in academics and research, and over 500 Indian doctors and 300 international doctors have been trained in the field of gastroenterology during this period. The focus has been on training in cutting-edge research, and also training in cutting-edge techniques and technologies which are in endoscopy and liver areas.
In the field of research, AIG has been a pioneer in new therapies for various diseases, including therapies for TYPE 3 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, gastrointestinal cancers, new surgical techniques like NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery) and treatment of pancreatic diseases.