Bhubaneswar, September 4: A media delegation from Odisha, coordinated by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Bhubaneswar, visited the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, on Friday and was briefed on the Institute’s landmark achievements in tertiary healthcare, medical education, advanced clinical interventions, research and digital health.
Dr. Vir Singh Negi, Director, JIPMER along with the Medical Superintendent and other Senior doctors apprised the visiting journalists of JIPMER’s illustrious evolution from the École de Médecine de Pondichéry, established in 1823, to a premier Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Today, JIPMER provides comprehensive undergraduate, postgraduate and super-speciality medical education and tertiary healthcare, serving patients from Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States.
The Institute caters to more than 14.38 lakh outpatient visits annually, with approximately 5,000–6000 patients accessing its services every day.
During the last operational year, JIPMER recorded 83,795 inpatient admissions, performed more than 47,000 major and minor surgeries, and conducted more than 88.3 lakh diagnostic investigations. Its specialised clinical services have so far enabled 426 renal transplants, 901 corneal grafts and more than 350 bone-marrow transplants.
The Institute has also embraced advanced medical technologies, including robotic surgical suites operational since 2017, dual linear accelerators, 3-Tesla MRI systems, advanced catheterisation laboratories and multi-slice CT scanners, strengthening its capacity to undertake complex diagnosis and precision-driven treatment.
The delegation was given an overview of the achievements of JIPMER’s Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), which receives more than 30,000 oncology patient visits and around 6,000 newly registered cancer cases annually.
The recently commissioned RCC Phase-III facility, established at a cost of Rs 94 crore, has expanded the Institute’s oncology capacity with 200 additional inpatient beds, translational molecular oncology laboratories and an enhanced day-care chemotherapy facility. The day-care model enables same-day chemotherapy administration, thereby reducing waiting time and improving patient convenience.
JIPMER has also registered significant advances in cellular and personalised cancer therapies, including successful CAR-T cell infusions for refractory malignancies, alpha-beta depleted T-cell transplantation and personalised tumour management through molecular tumour boards.
JIPMER has undertaken comprehensive hospital digitisation through an Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission-compliant Hospital Information Management System, facilitating automated ABHA ID generation, QR-code-based fast-track outpatient registration and digital linkage of patient records across departments.
The Institute is also a designated Regional Resource Centre and National Medical College Network hub, connecting 160 medical colleges across southern States through a high-speed 1 Gbps network.
Through satellite connectivity supported by ISRO, JIPMER provides telemedicine-enabled clinical mentoring and specialised services, including tele-ophthalmology, tele-ward rounds and tele-ICU guidance, supported by indigenous mobile telemedicine kiosks.
Its telemedicine outreach has acquired an international dimension, with JIPMER facilitating clinical networks across all seven BIMSTEC member States and undertaking specialised consultative programmes with Morocco.
JIPMER’s commitment to equitable healthcare is reinforced through its Insurance Wing, which has provided seamless cashless medical coverage to more than 1.31 lakh beneficiaries.
The facility operates round the clock under major public healthcare schemes, including Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana for senior citizens and Central Government Health Scheme.
