IISc gets Rs 425-cr donation to build an 800-bed multi-speciality hospital

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Monday announced it has received its single largest private donation of Rs 425 crore to help build an 800-bed multi-speciality hospital. The investment is being made by with philanthropists Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, and Radha and NS Parthasarathy.

After its founding, this is the largest single private donation received by IISc. The hospital will be named as the Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital.

Founded in 1909, IISc is India’s premier institute for advanced research and education, with equal emphasis on science and engineering. In line with global examples of integrating science, engineering and medicine under a single institution, IISc will be setting up a Postgraduate Medical School along with a multi-speciality hospital in its Bengaluru campus.

The academic centrepiece of this initiative will be an integrated dual degree MD-PhD programme aimed at creating a new breed of physician-scientists, who will pursue careers in clinical research to develop new treatments and healthcare solutions, driven by a bench-to-bedside philosophy. They will be trained simultaneously in the hospital as well as in the science and engineering laboratories at IISc.

The key enabler of this endeavour would be the not-for-profit, 800-bed multi-speciality hospital, catering to the clinical training and research activities of the academic programme.

“We are extremely grateful to Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, and Radha and NS Parthasarathy for their magnanimous gesture. Their generous contribution will help us realise our vision of seamless coupling between clinical sciences, basic sciences, and engineering technology disciplines, all anchored within a vibrant university campus, enabling cross-disciplinary training and research opportunities for young minds. We hope that this creates a new template for institution building in India, particularly in medical research," said Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc.

The Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital will be built within the existing IISc Bengaluru campus, taking full advantage of the co-location with the science and engineering faculties and labs. The ground-breaking is planned for June 2022 and the hospital will be operational by the end of 2024.