The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER ) in Pondicherry is likely to get eight patents this year, for which the Institute has made applications according to Dr SC Parija, director of JIPMER, Pondicherry.
 
He said this happens because the young medicos as well as the faculty are motivated for research and it has yielded result. Dr Parija was inaugurating the national undergraduate medical conference, SRMC EQUINOX 2016, at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai. But he declined to reveal which areas the patent applications were made.

“The students at JIPMER are encouraged to do research and innovate from the very beginning, and it has resulted in some students joining the faculty in developing products and procedures that are expected to result in patents shortly. But it is frustrating that many of the illustrious academicians and clinicians after a long career have not even one patent to their credit. Therefore we have created the necessary ambiance at JIPMER and are funding research and innovation projects,” he said.
 
The director said, the Institute set up an Innovation Unit and Intellectual Property Cell (IU&IPC) which has got very good response from the students and faculty. The ‘Make in India’ programme of Union government also provides an excellent opportunity for young medicos to come up with newer and cheaper medical procedures and diagnostic equipments which are currently being imported. “With kidney, liver and heart transplants taking place in increasing numbers we should do research to bring down the cost so that even the poor people can benefit. Collaborations among medical and other institutions is also required for this”, he added.
 
Welcoming the audience, Dr J S N Murthy, vice chancellor of SRU, said with India becoming the hub of medical destination, the country has to become globally competitive and therefore innovative medical education is needed. Over one thousand medicos from across the country attended the programme.