IIT Kharagpur, known around the world for its engineering courses, would be the first one in the IIT system to venture into medical education. Besides serving the local populace, the hospital will also work on biomedical, clinical and translational research. Drug design and delivery will be other key research areas to which the hospital will contribute. “It will bring the two diverse disciplines of engineering and medicine together in education and research. Technology will be used to access and treat large number of patients through satellite centres and secondary hospitals,” the director said.

The hospital is planning to use technologies like remote diagnostics, telemedicine, teleradiology, and expert systems leveraging outreach of cellular network. Also proposed are a paramedic, nursing training facility, biomedical innovation unit and a medical outreach unit. In the next phase, the hospital would be upgraded to 750 beds, officials said.

Adding to its international appeal, the authorities are also collaborating with Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA and Imperial College in London, on medical science. Since 2001, IIT-Kharagpur has been running the school of medical science and technology which has an inter-disciplinary three-year post-graduate programme in medical science and technology. For its faculty, employees and students, the IIT has the B C Roy Technology Hospital inside its campus with 32 beds, including ICU and isolation ward.