Amrita Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, is recognised as one of the premier health institutions in the region, providing world-class comprehensive care at affordable rates through a dedicated team of highly qualified healthcare professionals from across the world. Founded in 1998, by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (AMMA to the world), Amrita Hospital offers a full range of primary and specialty medical care. The activities through the main campus at Kochi and its satellite centres encompasses a range of health care related activities in the vision of its founder Mata Amritanandamayi Devi which includes curative, preventative and rehabilitative arms of treatment in addition to medical education, research, community outreach programs for awareness, prevention and treatment of diseases and telemedicine.
AMMA’s vision of providing the best of medical facilities to the poor and disadvantaged is what is now a 1100 bed (490 units) tertiary care and referral teaching hospital catering to more than 1 million outpatients and 70000 in-patients every year. The healthcare infrastructure has a built-up area of 3.33 million square feet spread over 125 acres of land with an average daily patient footfall of 3500 patients with 95% bed occupancy. There are 12 super specialty departments, 45 other specialities, 4500 support staff and 670 faculty members. Facilities include 28 modern operating theatres, 275 equipped intensive-care beds, a fully computerized and networked Hospital Information System(HIS), a fully digitised radiology department, 17 NABL accredited clinical laboratories and 24/7 telemedicine services.
Amrita Hospital features one of the most advanced hospital computer networks in India supporting 2800 computers with computerisation of every aspect of patient care including patient information, laboratory tests and radiological imaging.
The advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment includes the DA-VINCI surgical robotic system, ROSA the latest generation in robotic neurosurgery, MAKO robotic arm assistance for joint replacements, a CYBERKNIFE M6 and Tomotherapy for radiotherapy, GE VOLUSON E10 4D ultrasound system for 2D, 3D and 4D images, PHILPIS 256 slice i CT scanner, PET-MRI (3 Teslas) scanner and the Digital pathology solutions which is a virtual microscope.
The hospital has received the ISO 9001-2008 accreditation. It also enjoys accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its laboratories and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) for the hospital overall. Amrita Hospital as part of the Health Sciences campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with the highest grade of A++.
Amrita Hospital has many firsts to its credit including the first ever Bilateral Hand Transplant Surgery in South-East Asia in the year 2015, the same year that the Amrita team won the British Medical Journal Award for the Best Surgical Team in South Asia awarded for its two successful double hand transplants, the first and the second bilateral hand transplants in this region. Previously, the hospital had won the National Healthcare Excellence Award for Best Hospital (CSR Category) in India by FICCI in 2013 and British Medical Journal (BMJ) – India Healthcare Award for the Paediatric Heart Program in 2014. In 2016, Amrita Hospital won the coveted British Medical Journal Award for Infectious Disease Initiative of the Year and FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards for Patient Safety and Innovation in Medical Technology.
Since 1998, Amrita Hospital has provided more than four billion rupees worth of charitable medical care with more than three million patients having received completely free treatment.
Established in September 2002, the Amrita School of Medicine has achieved academic recognition from the students, community and educational fraternity as an institution providing not only world-class training but also the proper perspective on life. The present School tower comprises 12 storeys with a total floor area of 120,000 sq. ft. The hospital has an additional floor area of 1,100,000 square feet. Incorporating state-of-the-art educational facilities that meet international standards, the Amrita School of Medicine is a fusion of the latest technology with core human values. The School of Medicine building houses laboratories, lecture halls and a well-furnished central library complete with an outstanding collection of the latest editions of international and Indian medical books and journals. It also provides for electronic access to many scientific and medical databases in India and abroad. An ANATOMY MUSEUM has been established with all the latest teaching devices and with elaborate models detailing the different parts of the human body.
A state-of-the-art “Simulation Lab” allows for simulated treatment and recognition of most medical emergencies ranging from cardiac arrhythmias to pregnancy and simulated delivery. Students have hands-on sessions in the simulation lab as a part of their training. As a part of the surgical skill development, simulation workshops are conducted for potential surgeons in Microvascular Surgical Skill Development; Laparoscopic Surgical Techniques; Gastro-Intestinal Workshop; Temporo Mandibular Dissection; Experimental Research and Alternatives; Colorectal Workshop; ENT Workshop etc. In addition the first and until very recently, the only robotic surgery training center in India, Amrita Centre for Robotic Surgery Training and Animal Cath Lab is a productive collaboration between Intuitive Surgical Inc. and Amrita Hospital, with Intuitive Surgical Inc, makers of the da Vinci system for robotic assisted surgeries, providing trainers for the robotic assistance equipment and Amrita Hospital provides the infrastructure, manpower, facilities and the animals required for training.So far, about 250 surgeons from all over India have been trained and qualified from the Amrita Center for Robotic Surgery Training.
The School offers various undergraduate and postgraduate programs like BSc, MSc, MD/MS/PG Diploma, DM/M Ch, etc., as well as a five-and-a-half year program in Medicine, including a year of internship, culminating in the award of an MBBS degree. The curriculum is based on the directives of the Medical Council of India.
A commitment to the practice of medicine in its highest form is a lifelong commitment to humanity. The resolve to be a Center of Excellence both in medical training and in the practice of medicine is what has led to Amrita school of Medicine being ranked as the 6th best Medical College in India as per the NIRF rankings for the year 2021.
Our best ambassadors have been our students who have done us proud over the last two decades excelling in their areas of expertise in prestigious institution in India and abroad.
Clinical research has been held sacrosanct in the ethos of Amrita Hospital’s development over the years with the prolific output by way of research papers, publications, conventions and patents being seen as key drivers to the high ranking of Amrita University and Amrita hospital in the NIRF and other ratings. A full-fledged research unit oversees all research activities in the hospital.
Intramural research activities include all the post graduate theses and dissertations a good number of which are subsidised with deserving projects receiving full financial support. Amrita Hospital supports publications in National and International journals indexed journals towards the article processing charges of the publishers. Incentive is provided to under-graduate MBBS students to carry out research and publish for which they are hand-held through the process by consultants from various departments so as to foster a culture of research which we believe will hold them in good stead for the future as researchers and clinicians. The same process and framework applies to nursing, pharmacy, paramedical and allied courses, dentistry, ayurveda and veterinary sciences as well.
Extramural projects include all the funded projects done as a single centre or multi-centric study or project in collaboration with other centres in the country and outside. Amrita Hospitals has collaborative projects with 28 national and International agencies/centres/ universities including ICMR Institutes like NIRRH and NIMS, DBT, BIRAC, DST, DRDO etc and 12 with International Universities including Harvards, University College- London, Michigan University, Lundh University, Heidelberg University, etc.
The notable projects from among many include;
The Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine (ACNSMM) has been at the vanguard of research activities at Amrita Hospital bridging the fields of medicine, dentistry, metallurgy and engineering with research majorly focusing on tissue engineering ,stem cells and its application, cancer diagnosis and therapy, biomedical implants, wound healing and nanotoxicology alongside the basic and applied aspects of molecular medicine, molecular and cellular phenomena in biological systems, disease prevention, diagnosis and therapy. In all the fields taken together, around 630 research and review articles were published during the period of 2007-2021. During this period, publications from ACNSMM were cited around 20000 times with research work published in high impact journals. During this period, 16 patents were granted, 42 patents were published and 37 patents were filed, all of which point to the remarkable progress achieved by ACNSMM. The department has high-end characterization facilities such as TEM, FE-SEM, Confocal, XPS etc. The other facilities such as 3D bioprinting, electrospinning, nanofabrication, GLP and GMP are also available in ACNSMM.
In addition, ACNSMM has set up a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility with a total built-up area is 5000 sq. area. The manufacturing facility complies with requirement of cGMP and ISO 13485 specification.
Central Lab Animal Facility was established in 2002 as a part of Amrita Hospital with well-equipped state-of-the-art equipments for laboratory animal as well as large animal research. Rats, Mice, Rabbits, Sheep and Pigs are housed in this facility including nude mice, Balb/C Mice breeding, Rabbit room, small animal OT, large animal OT, Cath Lab, Biosafety cabinet, small animal 7T MRI, Micro CT, in vivo multispectral imaging and Histopathology analysis facility. The preclinical studies in cancer immunotherapy, bone cancer pain, neuropathic pain, drug delivery, targeted nanomedicine, photodynamics, hepatic cirrhosis, bone regeneration, wafer, melanoma, glioblastoma, mesenchymal stem cell, 3D Implants, autoimmunity, radiofrequency in cancer therapy and wound infection healing studies have been carried out in this facility thus far.
The total number of RCTs done during the time period 2017-2021 are listed in the table below:
| Investigator Initated, RCT And Multicentric Studies During the Period- 2017 to 2021 | |||||
| Amrita Hospitals, Kochi, 682 041 | |||||
| SI. No. | Year | Randomized Controlled Trials (PI Initiated) | Multi Centric Studies(Including Collaborative) | Investigator Initiated (Departmental Studies) | Grand Total |
| 1. | 2017 | 12 | 2 | 149 | |
| 2. | 2018 | 10 | 3 | 66 | |
| 3. | 2019 | 9 | 8 | 50 | |
| 4. | 2020 | 21 | 16 | 70 | |
| 5. | 2021 | 6 | 5 | 35 | |
| Total | 58 | 39 | 370 | 467 | |
The number of medical publications in indexed journals has been consistent over the years in addition to the in-house journal “Amrita Journal of Medicine which was started in 2005 and is published every quarter. Additionally the number of publications in indexed medical journals over the last 5 years is -2016 (297), 2017 (390), 2018(277), 2019(309), 2020(307) and 286 (2021) as of the 13th October.
The number of extramural funded proposals are listed below:
| Sponsored Clinical Trials During the Period 2017 to 2021 | ||||
| Amrita Hospitals, Kochi, 682 041 | ||||
| SI. No. | Year | RCT | Others | Total |
| 1. | 2017 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| 2. | 2018 | 8 | 15 | 23 |
| 3. | 2019 | 7 | 11 | 18 |
| 4. | 2020 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 5. | 2021 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 29 | 43 | 72 | |
Every year, Amrita Hospital conducts more than 100 free health camps in remote and impoverished areas. All treatment and medicines are given free of charge. Patients are also screened for serious diseases and referred to Amrita Hospital for further treatment when necessary. A large number of cataract surgeries, cleft palate and lip repairs and numerous other surgeries have been done free of cost as a part of community-outreach. The community outreach activities encompass educational activities including ;Health awareness training program for school students and teachers; special awareness program on tobacco, drugs, alcohol abuse and de-addiction; oral health education program; Basic cardiac life support for policemen; palliative care training for students ;volunteer’s training program; tribal and rural organizer’s training program; cancer education; clinical medical camps; non-communicable diseases screening camps including for cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, hypertension etc; blood group detection camps; alongside disaster management services as was abundantly evident during the Kerala floods of 2018, Latur and Gujarat earthquakes and the Tsunami of 2004.
The service at Amrita Hospital is the first telemedicine centre in Kerala which was started in September 2002. This center was set up with the help of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), as its pilot telemedicine project in the state of Kerala so as to provide the best medical care to the difficult to reach communities and remote areas alongside marginalised communities. The Amrita Centre connects with more than 60 centres in India , 32 in the African subcontinent and 6 in other countries. Besides providing consultations to the remote corners of India, Amrita Hospital uses its telemedicine link to educate doctors in remote primary centres in the latest medical advancements through seminars, workshops and teaching programs. Our telemedicine service comprises Tele-cardiology, radiology, dermatology, pathology, mental health, ophthalmology and tele-mentoring.
Amrita Hospital runs five satellite charitable hospitals: three in Kerala (Amritapuri, Kalpetta, Njarakkal), one in Mysore, and one in the Andaman Islands. The hospitals serve populations that would otherwise not have easy access to quality healthcare. All treatment is given free of charge. The satellite centres are located in areas with a significant indigenous or tribal population for which doctors concerned make house-calls at remote tribal hamlets. On average the centre at Kalpetta treats 200 patients daily on OP basis, 75% of whom are tribals, conducted 102 camps in the year 2018 and distributed medicines worth INR 6.8 million for that year.
In addition, Amrita Hospital runs Satellite Units in Kaloor, Palluruthy and Panangad as a part of its rural outreach.
Amrita SeRVe (Amrita Self-Reliant Villages) was launched during Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations in September 2013 and ushered in sustainable development in village clusters across India, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG). There are 101 villages spread over the length and breadth of the country presently embracing the Amrita SeRVe concept. The aim of Amrita SeRVe is to create model self-reliant villages tailored to the needs, environment, geography and culture of the particular village. The thrust areas being in skill empowerment especially among women so as to make them self-reliant, provide basic education, create health awareness, awareness on substance abuse, water and sanitation, agriculture etc. The necessary back-up and expertise for the mission is undertaken by experts from the various branches of engineering and Amrita Hospital as well.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has declared Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as a Centre of Excellence in Tribal Empowerment (Tribal CoE). This multidisciplinary centre has faculty expertise from various Amrita departments. The Integrative Health and Wellbeing – Strengthening Tribal Health with Preventative Care and Awareness program is a collaborative effort of Amrita Center for Research in Analytics, Technologies & Education (AmritaCREATE) and Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda (ĀCĀRA). A holistic training for preventive care that includes basic tests such as checking BP, and blood glucose level, and that facilitates referral of patients to the nearest PHC is envisioned. The project aims at creating awareness about health and hygiene, along with simple natural remedies with traditional Ayurveda understanding based on their current locally available diet. This project aims to improve health care in tribal areas by integrating government PHCs, Allopathic and Ayurveda practitioners and Traditional Healers.
What Amrita Hospitals encapsules is a holistic health care framework including preventative, primary and specialty care all under the same roof in the vision of the founder AMMA. The campus includes a school for Nursing, Dental health, Ayurveda, Pharmacy, Nanosciences, Paramedical and Allied Sciences, Public health and Veterinary sciences. The Amrita University includes the Engineering, Social Sciences, Biotechnology, Arts and Sciences and Agricultural sciences in addition. The strength of the University has been in the collaborative work carried out between the different streams in the University in addition to the National and International collaborations. The multidisciplinary nature of Amrita Hospital truly allows for a “bench to bedside” and “bedside to bench” concept for research. Astute observations by clinicians on nature of muscle weakness in stroke, a not yet reported aortopathy running in families, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in families, lipid lowering effects of snake venom etc have all led to first time discovery of molecular or genetic basis for disease and or treatment in the conditions mentioned. Similarly nanomolecule coated coronary and peripheral stents, nanofibre reinforced bone scaffolds, 3-D printing especially for congenital heart diseases, newer amalgams and alloys for reinforcing orthopaedic implants etc are areas showcasing “bench to bedside” research successfully.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of AMIS, culture of research imbibed in both staff and students, availability of ancillary departments to support research, cold storage biorepository, fully electronic hospital information system, fully digitised radiology department, telemedicine, a large pool of patients and excellent community and out-reach programs, the team believe that we make a strong claim as a hub centre for the area. The Lead Investigator has led large community based trials in addition to industry sponsored clinical trials with most other team members being seasoned researchers having completed multiple projects in the areas of Head & Neck surgery ( Dr Subramaniam Iyer and Dr T Krishnakumar), Paediatric cardiology (Dr R Krishnakumar), oncology ( Dr K Pavithran), Public health (Dr Chandrasekhar Jankiram and Dr KV Beena), Opthalmology (Dr Gopal S Pillai), haematology (Dr Neeraj Sidharthan), Neurology (Dr Vivek Nambiar and Dr K Sudheeran), Infectious Diseases ( Dr TS Dipu), etc.
The aim and quest of all the assorted activities in the institute and university is all aligned to alleviating the suffering of our countrymen in particular and humanity at large with a focus on equity especially in healthcare. Let the purse not come as a hindrance to treatment has been our guiding principle. In the words of our AMMA ‘Loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu’ is what our goal is wherein our countrymen lead a healthier and happier life in tune with nature.