Rare recognition for Sree Chitra in cardiac care

Thiruvananthapuram: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has been granted the ‘centre for advanced research and excellence’ status by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

The ICMR, which is establishing 10 centres of advanced research and excellence in the country, in areas like cancer, diabetology, cardiology, mental health, air pollution, etc., has given approval to SCTIMST to set up a ‘CARE centre for cardiology in heart failure’ at the institute.

“The approval is to establish an advanced centre for research in the field of heart failure, which is an emerging problem in the country. The mortality rate of cardiac diseases, 45% in three years, is higher than many common cancers,’’ said Dr S Harikrishnan, professor of cardiology.

To establish the centre of excellence, ICMR will provide Rs 5crore for the next five years. SCTIMST under Dr Harikrishnan has published the data from Trivandrum heart failure registry, which is now established as a cohort into its fifth year. This is the only heart failure cohort in India.

As part of the centre of excellence and research in SCTIMST, the proposed activities are to develop a national database of heart failure, to establish a biobank of heart failure patients to study genetic, metabolomics and proteomic markers of health outcomes in heart failure patients, said Dr Harikrishnan.

It would also study the micro-economic and psychosocial impact of heart failures and to develop quality improvement initiative of task sharing and m-health (mobile phone-based) interventions by trained nurses and family care givers in improving the practice of evidence-based care for management of heart failure in India, he added.

It would also develop point-of-care (POC) device systems with the help of biomedical technology wing of SCTIMST to aid management of patients with heart failure.

“This is the recognition of the good work done by Sree Chitra in the field of heart diseases. This centre of excellence will pave the way for testing treatment modifications suited to India and newer devices in the field of heart failure,” said Dr Asha Kishore, SCTIMST director.