Amrita Hospital, Kochi, inaugurated its Centre of Excellence in CAR T Cell Therapy, marking a significant milestone in the field of cancer treatment in India. The event was graced by the presence of Shri George Kurian, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs, Government of India, as the Chief Guest.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. Prathapan Nair P., Chairman of Amrita Health Sciences; Dr. Damodaran Vasudevan, Dean of Health Sciences, Amrita Hospital Kochi; Dr. Shantikumar Nair, Dean of the School of Nanosciences & Molecular Medicine, Kochi; Dr. Vidya Jha, Medical Administrator; Shirish Arya, Director Corporate Strategy & Business Development and Dr. Neeraj Sidharthan, Clinical Professor and Head of Clinical Haematology & Division of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Neeraj Sidharthan, who highlighted the alarming rates of cancer, noting that in 2024, 14 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer, and three people die every minute in India due to blood cancer. He elaborated on the innovative uses of CAR T Cell Therapy and how Amrita Hospital is offering this cutting-edge treatment cost-effectively in India. Dr. Neeraj also extended his gratitude to Dr. Prem Nair, Medical Director of Amrita Hospitals, for his pivotal efforts in establishing the Centre of Excellence. Dr. Monisha Harimadhavan provided an in-depth explanation of CAR T Cell Therapy, detailing its mechanisms and benefits.
The Chief Guest, Shri George Kurian, officially inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for CAR T Cell Therapy. In his address, he remarked, "The inauguration of the CAR T Cell Therapy Centre of Excellence today is a significant comfort to many cancer patients. India is rapidly progressing in the health sector, and it is a great achievement that advanced treatments like CAR T Cell Therapy are now accessible to common people within our own country. Previously, leukemia patients had to rely on foreign countries for such treatments, which were prohibitively expensive. For the past 25 years, Amrita Hospital has been fulfilling Amma's wish to provide world-class treatment at affordable costs to everyone."
During the felicitation address, Dr. Prathapan Nair stated, "People and families are often devastated when diagnosed with cancer, but now there is hope. Amrita Hospital always stands at the forefront of introducing new technology to India."
Dr. Damodaran Vasudevan and Dr. Shantikumar Nair commended Dr. Neeraj Sidharthan and his team for bringing CAR T Cell Therapy to Kerala for the first time.
CAR-T cell therapy enables us to harness the power of our immune system to target cancer cells with precision, offering new hope to patients with previously untreatable conditions. CAR-T cell therapy represents a groundbreaking approach in cancer treatment, with the potential to provide long-term remission and care for certain types of blood cancers.
