Mohanlal inaugurates Silver Jubilee of Amrita Hospital’s Neurosciences Department; unveils nation’s first Centre for Brain Health

Kochi, May 31:
The Department of Neurosciences at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, commemorated its Silver Jubilee with a series of events celebrating 25 years of service in neurological care and research. 

The Silver Jubilee celebrations and national firsts in the field of neurological care — the Centre for Brain Health and Preventive Neurology and the Neuroimmunology Centre of Excellence were inaugurated by Mohanlal. The actor also released Chiriyil pothinja Novarivukal, a book authored by Dr. Anand Kumar, Head of the Department of Neurology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi handing over the first copy to filmmaker T.K. Rajeev Kumar. 

Jagadguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, underscored the importance of compassionate care in the medical profession. “In a world overwhelmed by sorrow and helplessness, serving the sick with love and compassion should be approached as an act of penance,” she said. She expressed hope that healthcare professionals would continue to approach their work with a meditative, calm, and dedicated mindset in a video message. 

Blessings were also offered by Swami Poornamritananda Puri, General Secretary of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. The function was attended by noted literary figures including Prof. M.K. Sanu and author C. Radhakrishnan. Dr. Prem Nair, Group Medical Director of Amrita Hospitals, Dr. Anand Kumar, Head of the Department of Neurology, Amrita Hospital and Dr. K.P. Vinayan, Head of the Department of Paediatric Neurology. 

The event was followed by a cultural programme titled Bhavarasa, directed by filmmaker T.K. Rajeev Kumar and musical performance led by music director Sharreth. Dance performances by hospital doctors Dr. Soumya Jagadeesan and Dr. Sruthi Sasikumar also featured as part of the celebrations. 

ABOUT AMRITA HOSPITAL, KOCHI (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 speciality-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 1,300-bed (490 units) tertiary referral and teaching hospital, serving more than 8 lakh outpatients and more than 50,000 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 3,500 outpatients with 95 percent inpatient occupancy. There are 12 super-speciality departments, 45 other departments, 4,500 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 computerised 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