Chennai: The cath lab at Voluntary Health Services in Adyar will offer services such as angioplasty and stenting for a price at least 25% less than at private hospitals, the hospital announced on Thursday. The hospital, which tied up with Madras Medical Mission for technical assistance, will also use AI algorithms to sharpen diagnosis.
The lab, sponsored by the Sanmar Group, was inaugurated on Thursday by IIT-M director V Kamakoti. Hospital president and former election commissioner N Gopalaswami inaugurated the coronary care unit. "This facility is a dream come true for our hospital," said hospital secretary Dr Suresh Seshadri.
"It's a made-in-India setup. So, we brought down the cost of setting up the lab by half to 2.7 crore. We received a donation of 7 crore from Sanmar for the lab, CCU, and renovation of the ward. We don't have capital expenditure costs, and we are passing on the benefit to our patients," he said.
The hospital will have a full-time cardiologist and an efficient team to handle emergencies. The staff at the hospital will be trained by a team led by senior cardiologist Dr Ajit Mullasari, who is the director of cardiology for Madras Medical Mission. As part of training and association, VHS will have AI-enabled systems for diagnosis.
AI algorithms can quickly and accurately identify blockages, narrowing, and other abnormalities in angiograms, reducing the potential for human error and leading to more reliable diagnoses and treatment plans, doctors said.