Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 (PTI) The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) will continue to develop, and space constraints can be addressed through satellite centres or by establishing cluster institutions in close proximity, Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said here on Thursday.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating a new centre for neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery at SCTIMST, Singh stated that the institute had made significant contributions in positioning India as the third-largest player in the bio-manufacturing sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
"We have made quantum progress in bio-manufacturing," Singh said.
He added that SCTIMST would now serve as a role model for similar institutes across the country by incorporating centres of excellence.
"For global acceptance, the institute needs to have at least one facility that is slightly out of the box and not easily available elsewhere," the minister said.
He expressed hope that the new centre would develop cutting-edge technology for treating neurological disorders, which are on the rise in the country.
He noted that modern medicine has become highly technology-driven and that institutes like SCTIMST could make substantial contributions in this field.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted that SCTIMST has developed several unique products that are already being commercially manufactured.
He pointed out that technology is explicitly mentioned in the institute's name, reflecting its strong emphasis on advancing medical treatment and medical engineering.
"That is why the institute is not under the Health Ministry, but under the Ministry of Science and Technology," Tharoor said.