Tirupati: Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) has recently been outfitted with significant new medical equipment. A substantial portion of this upgrade, valued at ₹22.01 crore, was a donation from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. This contribution includes advanced diagnostic machines intended to bolster the hospital's oncology and radiology departments.
Among the newly installed items are a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, the MAGNETOM Vida, costing approximately ₹14 crore, and a 4D CT Simulator System, the SOMATOM go.Sim, used for radiotherapy planning, valued at around ₹8 crore. These machines are expected to improve the precision of cancer detection and treatment planning.
Separately, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) funded the acquisition of a PET CT scanner worth ₹18 crore, a Gamma camera for ₹5 crore, and an advanced linear accelerator. The PET CT scanner is designed for precise diagnosis of cancer, brain, and cardiac conditions. The linear accelerator aims to treat cancer tumors with enhanced accuracy. The Gamma camera will assist in imaging internal organs for cancer and infections, as well as assessing the function of the heart, brain, thyroid, bones, and kidneys.
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TTD Chairman BR Naidu stated that SVIMS is rapidly developing into a premier super specialty hospital in the country. He also affirmed the TTD's commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services to the underprivileged, allocating ₹140 crore annually for the hospital's development and expansion.
Officials indicated that the new equipment is anticipated to significantly enhance early cancer detection, offer radiation-free diagnostic options, and potentially benefit over 2.5 lakh underprivileged patients annually.
SVIMS Director Dr. RV Kumar highlighted that under TTD's administration, the hospital offers top-class medical care free of charge to the poor and also provides medical education at the Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women.
The inauguration events saw the presence of various dignitaries including TTD Chairman BR Naidu, TUDA Chairman C Divakar Reddy, IOCL Executive Director (HR) Mukesh Rajan, SVIMS Medical Superintendent Dr. Ram, and Radiology Department Head Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi, among others. An agreement for the procurement of the MRI and CT scan equipment was previously signed between IOCL and SVIMS in February 2023.
