RajaRajeswari Medical College and Hospital started with a vision. The vision was to bridge the gap between specialised healthcare services and the underprivileged section of the society. The main philosophy behind this venture is to transform individuals to service oriented citizens and to bring hope and healing to the poor.
Dr A C Shanmugam, chairman of the institution spoke to City Express about the unique features of the college and hospital their main strength - Radiology and Cardiology.
Tell us about the unique features of Rajarajeswari Medical Hospital.
The unique feature of our institution is that most of the healthcare facilities are offered at very low prices and in many cases they are offered free of cost. With this social responsiveness bent of mind, I feel very proud that Rajarajeswari Medical College and Hospital is considered amongst the premier medical educational institutions in the country (courtesy Education World Survey )
You have gathered strength in Radiology and Cardiology. Tell us about these segments and how do you stand out from the rest.
It is now accepted that the phenomenal advances in medical sciences in the last 50 years far outstrip those in all the previous millennia. Keeping in mind the demands of today’s healthcare services, we are proud to say that our radiology and cardiology labs have become the toast of RRMCH.
Built on the area of 1 lakh sq. ft area with a whopping investment of `40 crores, both the departments are equipped with latest cutting edge instruments and infrastructure. Our Radiology department has a CT Scan which is first-of-its-kind installed in South Asia with 128 slice and has an MRI scan with 1.5 Tesla. Apart from this, we also have the latest ultra sound and mammogram facilities.
In continuation with our endeavour to reach out to the unreachable, we are offering all these services at discounted prices which is less than half the prices charged outside and in many cases they are given free of cost to the needy and deserving segment of the society.
The cardiology department has Cath Lab in which Interventional procedures cardiology coronary angiogram, angioplasty angiography, electro-physiology study with RF ablation, permanent pacemaker implantation therapy, balloon mitral valvuotomy, device closures for ASD, VSD, peripheral vascular angioplasty. We also have 24 * 7 ECG services that is halter monitoring, Echo, TMT, TEE, DSE, head up tilt table test just to name a few. Again, all these tests are conducted at almost half the prices charged in other hospitals. We have so far successfully carried numerous Angioplastys, Angiograms, and Permanent Pace Maker operations.
How significant are these areas in today's scenario?
According to WHO estimates, up to 80 per cent of cases of coronary heart disease, 90 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases, and one-third of cancers can be avoided by increases physical activity, healthier diet and stopping smoking. The fast paced life style is creating dangerous disorders on their health and they begin to feel it only above the age of 40.
There is a old saying that, 'we are what we eat'. It even holds good today. With poor eating and sleeping habits, today’s population is more susceptible to all kinds of super specialty health problems. To cater to the increasing demands, we have to make sure that the hospitals are prepared with latest technical know-how.
Radiology is the cornerstone of any hospital. An efficient radiology department increases patient satisfaction as a result of its ability to improve patient care. Radiology is now the key diagnostic tool for many diseases and has an important role in monitoring treatment and predicting outcome. The anatomical detail and sensitivity of these techniques is now of a high order and the use of imaging for ultrastructural diagnostics, nanotechnology, functional and quantitative diagnostics and molecular medicine is steadily increasing.
New knowledge in imaging is being developed at an increasingly rapid rate. The field of radiology has expanded dramatically. The range of radiology covers diseases from the foetus through to the multi-morbid aging population, from prostate to the pituitary gland and from pancreatic neoplasia to bone dysplasia.
Over time, a well-run radiology department adds significant patient volumes, which, of course, favorably enhances the hospital’s bottom line regardless of whether the hospital is not-for-profit or for-profit. All these developments have necessitated the establishment of a well equipped, well qualified Radiology department which is implemented in our institution.