Ranchi: Authorities of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) are set to introduce robotic surgery after its governing council on Tuesday approved the proposal and directed officials to expedite the process. The council also cleared the procurement of 200 ventilators and approved a series of infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving patient care.The decisions were taken at the governing board meeting chaired by health minister Irfan Ansari, who said the focus would be on strengthening patient care, medical education and hospital infrastructure through time-bound implementation.“Our priority is to place Rims among the country’s best govt medical institutions. There will be no compromise on patient care, quality of treatment or medical education. Every decision was taken keeping public interest and future healthcare needs in mind,” Ansari said.Among the key decisions, the council approved expediting the introduction of robotic surgery, procurement of 200 advanced ventilators, installation of smart classrooms, reconstruction of the orthopaedic ward, creation of a modern help desk with 15 support staff, strengthening of the blood bank, and fast-tracking the purchase of a radiotherapy machine for the oncology department.The minister also directed authorities to renovate all toilets across the campus within a month, redesign the hospital’s main entrance, and conduct a technical assessment of buildings and floors requiring reconstruction. Officials were instructed to immediately issue pending purchase orders for medical equipment whose tenders have been finalised.Rims director Dr Dipendra Kumar Sinha said the institute would begin the robotic surgery programme in a phased manner.“A dedicated operation theatre will be developed for robotic surgeries. We will begin by piloting robotic procedures in general surgery and gradually expand the facility to other specialities after evaluating the outcomes,” Sinha said.The meeting also approved setting up a rehabilitation centre, strengthening genetic screening for newborns, exploring a PPP model for stem cell preservation, and assessing infrastructure needs following the increase in MBBS seats to 250.
