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Hon’ble Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Amrita Hospital in Kochi

In tune with its vision of providing exceptional healthcare services to those in need, the 1,350-bed Amrita Hospital in Kochi has announced a commitment of Rs 65 crore in charitable care over the next one year, as part of its silver jubilee celebrations.

The healthcare institution, which incurs an expenditure of Rs 40 crore every year for free treatment of needy patients, has committed an additional Rs 25 crore this year to the cause to mark the 25 years of its founding in 1998. A range of medical services will be offered within this budget, including paediatric cardiology, renal transplant, knee replacement, bone marrow transplant, paediatric liver transplant and free fibrous scan. Amrita hospital would also be conducting 240 free deliveries per month over the next one year as part of the celebrations.

Since its establishment in 1998, Amrita Hospital has spent more than Rs 816 crore in providing free medical care to people. Out of 1.96 crore patients treated at the hospital so far, 59 lakh patients were given either free or subsidized treatment.

The Silver Jubilee celebrations began with a grand event attended by Sri Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, Govt. of India; Smt. Veena George, Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Kerala; Sri P Prasad, Hon'ble Minister for Agriculture, Govt. of Kerala; Sri Hibi Eden, Member of Parliament (MP) from Ernakulam; Sri M Anilkumar, Mayor of Kochi, TJ Vinod, MLA Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math , Dr Prem Nair, Group Medical Director, Amrita Hospitals and other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri Amit Shah, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, noted the contribution of Amma towards service to the poor and spiritual upliftment of the masses. He said: “Every time I meet Amma, I return invigorated with new energy and consciousness. Like me, four crore people have received her love and blessings in the last five decades. I am glad and honored to acknowledge her good work for entire humanity. She has made immense contribution in creating appreciation for India’s rich, spiritual culture and traditions. She has taught the art of giving to the world. Even after 50 years of serving millions of people, her humility is striking. Amma’s ashram built 1,200 houses in Gujarat after the 2001 earthquake. Those villages are locally called Amma’s villages, so much is the gratitude of the people for the help provided by her in their hour of need.”

Sri Amit Shah added: “Starting with mere 125 beds, Amrita Hospital in Kochi has transformed into a 1350-bed facility. It is now counted among the world’s best. Apart from service to the poor, where it has treated lakhs of patients for free, the hospital also has an impressive record in medical excellence and research, with several firsts to its credit such as India’s first micro blood stem cell transplantation, India’s first hospital to do the largest number of high-precision robotic liver transplants and setting up India’s first 3D printing lab.”

He said: “In the last 9 years, the Indian government has taken a holistic approach to revolutionize healthcare, with the launch of initiatives like the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, Poshan mission, mission Indra Dhanush, Ayushman Bharat and Jal Jivan mission. These have substantially improved people’s health. More than 60 crore poor people are today eligible for free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Medical education infrastructure has improved substantially. In 2013-14, there were 387 medical colleges in India, compared to 648 today. The number of MBBS seats has gone up from 51,000 to 99,000, and PG seats from 31,000 to 64,000 in the same period. Also, 22 new AIIMS have been opened across the country. During the pandemic, the whole world watched in awe how the Government administered India-made vaccine to 130 crore Indians.”

Sri Amit Shah remotely inaugurated a state-of-the-art research centre at the Amritapuri (Kollam) campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and another research facility adjacent to the Amrita Hospital in Kochi. The expansion will build upon the hospital’s existing research programs, focusing on genomics, nanotechnology, informatics, and cell biology. The two new research centres are intended to solve common man’s problems by integrating high-quality research domains and translating them into affordable products for building sustainable and resilient communities.

In her video address, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) said: “It has been 25 years since this hospital began. All these years, the doctors, nurses, and all others have served sincerely and with total dedication. Words are insufficient to express my gratitude to them. Disease brings an intense state of sorrow. Patients deserve to be cared for with utmost patience and love. A hospital is their place of refuge, solace, and hope. For a patient, the doctor is God in human form, as are the nurses and paramedics. It is a blessing to be able to bring solace to someone in pain. This is why doctors who serve in the hospital, the nurses and others should smile with their heart. They have their own personal family responsibilities. Still, it would be good if we could forget that and have the attitude that we are consoling our own child when dealing with each patient. We have a responsibility towards this world and to all living beings in it. The value of life is decided not by what we have gained but by what we have been able to give. If we can give joy to at least one being for even one moment, our life is fulfilled to that extent.”

Said Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice Chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math and Vice President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Today, as we celebrate 25 years of compassion, integrity, and transformative healing, we express our gratitude to our dedicated medical, paramedical, and non-medical staff who have tirelessly served our patients. Amrita Hospital has successfully treated a remarkable 1.96 crore patients so far, and now our goal is to reach an astounding 50 million. At Amrita Hospital, our unwavering belief is that healthcare should be accessible to all, regardless of financial constraints. As we embark on the next phase of our journey, we carry with us the legacy of Amma, a beacon of compassion, and reaffirm our dedication to our mission of transformative healing for everyone."

Dr Prem Nair, Group Medical Director, Amrita Hospitals said: “I thank everyone who has led us up to this moment – 25 years of achieving the impossible. I find myself still filled with wonder at this expansive campus. Today, I feel the sacrifice and love that has gone into each brick as well as each dust particles in this campus.”

Amrita Hospital, Kochi, was inaugurated on May 17, 1998, by the former Prime Minister, Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Over the last 25 years, the hospital has achieved numerous milestones, spearheaded innovations, and embraced technological advancements, enabling the provision of high-quality healthcare to all.