Four Indian Hospitals win four Million US Dollar grant

Jaipur, Feb 8(UNI) A consortium of four Indian medical institutions, including Jaipur's Fortis Escorts Hospital, has been awarded a four million Dollar grant meant for creation of Centres of excellence to combat epidemic of chronic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes and chronic lungs diseases in India and other low income countries.

Talking to reporters ehre today Fortis Escorts Hospital's Dr Rajiv Gupta and Dr Praneet Kumar said that their proposal for creation of special cadre of health workers for non communicable chronic diseases management had helped in winning the grant.

The consortium of four Indian institutions was among 8 groups selected for grant of the aid, among 136 applicants from 70 countries.

Besides Fortis Escorts Hospital, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences Wardha(Maharastra), Raja Muhiah Medical College Annamalainagar and St Johns Medical College Bangalore were other three insitutitions in the consortium which would be led by St Johns Medical College Bangalore.

While, the three other institutions would work in rural areas, the Fortis Escorts Hospital (Jaipur) would work in urban areas of the city.

The three staged project--primary prevention, secondary prevention and political social and financial intervention--would have awareness based approach to control chronic diseases risk factors such as smoking/tobacco use, diet based startegies, BP control and diabetes control.

Five municipal wards in Jaipur's low and/or middle class population are initially chosen for the project, Dr Gupta said.

UNI SS BJR VC1630