Vimhans Hospitals

Media Room

Monday, Mar 26, 2007

VIMHANS aiming at D.N.B recognition

Though the demand for medical specialists is increasing each year, only a few are being churned out to meet the growing needs of people

The Vijayawada Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS), formerly Prashanti Hospital, will soon begin courses to churn out specialist psychiatrists with post-graduate qualification. It is all set to develop into a destination for medicos wanting to pursue higher studies and research under the leadership of noted psychiatrist Indla Ramasubba Reddy.

The institute, which provides under its roof memory, brain and such special clinics, is said to be unique in the coastal region and is in the process of getting recognition from the Diplomate National Board (D.N.B.) to offer three-year courses to those having MBBS qualification.

Dr. Ramasubba Reddy wants to develop the VIMHANS into a quality study and research destination. In doing so, he wants to involve fully his son Indla Vishal Reddy, who has an MD and D.N.B. qualification from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.

Expensive :

No one disputes that private medical education is the costliest of all. At a time when studying a PG course on a private campus runs into Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 lakhs, not many can afford and it is certainly important to find new ways to make up for the gap. What is increasingly felt is the need to produce more specialist doctors with a PG qualification.

Though the demand for medical specialists is increasing each year, very few are being churned out to meet the growing needs of people. In specialties like psychiatry and cardiology, the requirement is felt even more. For the first time, the VIMHANS is seeking recognition to offer D.N.B. course at its premises in the city from the 2007-`08 academic year. The three-year course will be offered to produce two to three specialist psychiatrists.

VMHANS director Ramasubba Reddy says that the D.N.B. course will help in filling the gap between the demand and availability of specialist psychiatrists. He points out that there are only 3,500 qualified psychiatrists in the country. In the State, there are just 150. "When compared to the West, we have 30 times less number of psychiatrists," he adds.

Stating that the board is promoting all efforts to produce medical specialists, Dr. Ramasubba Reddy says that the VIMHANS has applied for the D.N.B. recognition and it is expected to get the green signal soon. M.D seats in Government medical colleges are not enough to meet the general demand. On the other hand, the M.D. in psychiatry offered at a private college is very costly. Under these circumstances, the D.N.B. has come as a viable route to produce the required specialists.

Monday, Mar 19, 2007

WELL-EQUIPPED: Psychiatrist Indla Ramasubba Reddy explaining to MLA Sk. Nasar Vali, Mayor Mallika Begum, VGTM-UDA Chairman Malladi Vishnu and others about the facilities at VIMHANS on Sunday.

Institute of mental health promises better services
VIJAYAWADA: Psychiatrist Indla Ramasubba Reddy on Sunday said that the Vijayawada Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS), which was the new and spacious version of his Prasanti Hospital, would provide not just treatment but counselling too for all psychiatry-related illnesses.
Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the hospital, Dr. Ramasubba Reddy said that it was the first time in the State that a variety of clinics dealing with memory, psychology, brain and other important aspects were brought under a single roof.

A biofeedback apparatus installed at the VIMHANS would help detect tension levels and chronic neural problems, so as to provide better care to patients, he revealed.

People thanked

Dr. Ramasubba Reddy thanked people of the city for extending their cooperation to him for the past 25 years. He said doubts were expressed by many about the feasibility of managing a psychiatry clinic when `Prasanti' was set up in the city in 1982. But the doubts were dispelled and he had been able to rise to occupy top posts in medical fraternity.

Dr. Ramasubba Reddy said his son Indla Vishal Reddy, a gold medallist from the prestigious NIMHANS in Bangalore, opted to stay back in the country to render his services to people of the city, instead of going abroad. Dr. Vishal Reddy, along with Dr. Ramasubba Reddy, would be managing the VIMHANS. "Specialised care is what we need in the fast-changing scenario.

Memory clinics and the like will really help children struggling with their studies and also parents who are unable to deal with pressure," Dr. Ramasubba Reddy felt.

Journalist Turlapaty Kutumba Rao congratulated Dr. Ramasubba Reddy on doing the city proud by becoming the president of the SAARC Countries' Psychiatry Federation.

Monday, Mar 17, 2007

Vimhans silver jubilee

Vijayawada: The Prasanthi Hospital of Dr. Indla Ramasubba Reddy will be rechristened as the Vijayawada Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Vimhans) on the occasion of its silver jubilee celebrations, on Sunday. Addressing newsmen here on Friday, Vimhans director Indla Ramasubba Reddy said the hospital would be equipped with technologies like EEG and bio-feed back machines. Apart from this, a memory clinic, an alcohol and drug de-addiction clinicand psychological lab would be few other important features of the Vimhans. Dr. I Vishal Reddy, who is specially trained in alcohol and drug de-addiction, would supervise the functioning of the de-addiction clinic, he said.

Dr. Ramsubba Reddy said a child guidance clinic would also be started to deal with behavioural problems in children. Dr. Reddy said Panchayat Raj minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Mayor Mallika Begum, MP Lagadapati Rajgopal, MLAs Nasar Vali, Vangaveeti Radha Krishna, Devineni Rajasekhar and others would attend the celebrations, he said.