Karnataka Startup Vision Group chairman and venture capitalist Prashanth Prakash signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), pledging to set up a geriatrics wing at the Bagchi-Parthasarathy hospital coming up at the IISc’s sprawling campus in Bengaluru. The size of the donation was not disclosed.
The Shantha & Prakash Geriatrics Wing, as it is called, is expected to be operational by the start of 2025. The wing will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in geriatrics to support academic and research programs, and to enable PG students to undergo training of a world-class standard, IISc said.
The new wing will take forward the IISc Medical School objective of integrating science, engineering and medicine under a single umbrella to produce a new generation of physician-scientists, it added.
Thanking the Prakash couple, IISc director Govindan Rangarajan said despite advances in integrative medicine, long-term care including post-acute care of the elderly was a universal challenge. “With increasing life expectancy, it is also crucial to ensure healthy aging of the population. These multiple challenges require an interdisciplinary approach for effective care and we are sure that the Shanta & Prakash Geriatrics Wing will fuel and drive the much needed innovation in this space.”
Prakash, who is also the founder partner at the venture capital firm Accel said proactively managing age-related comorbidities will help prolong the period during which individuals can enjoy maximum physical and cognitive independence. “Through physician-scientists, there is immense potential for the Institute to bring advancements in Gero-sciences and Healthy-aging to help people live their most extended, healthiest lives possible.”
Prakash’s announcement of support follows HDFC Bank CSR arm Parivartan signing up with IISc pledging Rs 107.76 crore to support the Cardiology wing, Radiology wing, and Emergency Medicine wing at the Bagchi-Parthasarathy hospital.
With the support from Subroto Bagchi and NS Parthasarathy families, the premier science institution is setting up a multi-specialty, not-for-profit, 832-bed hospital, called the Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital, along with a PG Medical School within its Bengaluru campus. The hospital is expected to be fully functional by the end of 2024 while the first batch of MD/PhD students will be admitted in the year 2025. HDFC Bank has partnered with IISc for the first time with the aim of improving the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
