Pune's renowned Sancheti Hospital celebrated a significant milestone in its journey by marking its diamond jubilee with a major expansion. On December 12, the institution unveiled a state-of-the-art Advanced OrthoCare Facility and inaugurated a cutting-edge AI Innovation Lab, signaling a new era in musculoskeletal healthcare.
A Leap in Capacity and Care: The New 150-Bed Facility
The cornerstone of the expansion is the new 150-bed facility, which substantially boosts the hospital's capacity. With this addition, Sancheti Hospital now operates with a combined capacity of more than 300 beds. The advanced wing is designed to offer comprehensive orthopaedic care under one roof.
It houses several specialized units, including:
- Advanced operating suites for complex surgeries.
- Multidisciplinary critical care units.
- High-end diagnostic centers.
- Precision-based robotic rehabilitation systems.
- Expanded speciality clinics for focused treatment.
Dr. Parag Sancheti, the Chairperson and Managing Director of the hospital, emphasized that this development is more than just an infrastructure upgrade. He stated that the AI-driven diagnostics and rehabilitation centre will play a pivotal role in enhancing the hospital's sports medicine ecosystem and scaling up academic training programs.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Patient-Centric Innovation
Parallel to the physical expansion, Sancheti Hospital has made a strategic foray into digital healthcare with the launch of the Sancheti Artificial Intelligence Department and the AI Innovation Lab. This move introduces a dedicated ecosystem of AI tools tailored for various stakeholders in the healthcare chain.
The newly launched AIMD (Artificial Intelligence MD) platform is designed to support diagnosis, rehabilitation planning, medical education, and clinical decision-making. These tools are intended for use by orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, anaesthetists, medical students, and patients themselves.
To personify this new chapter of innovation, the hospital also introduced SANBO, an AI-inspired mascot that symbolizes movement and technological advancement.
Transforming Recovery with Measurable Outcomes
The integration of AI and robotics is already showing promising results in clinical settings. Dr. Darshita Narwani, Head of Physiotherapy at Sancheti Hospital, shared early feedback on the impact of these technologies.
"We are already seeing strong clinical outcomes in mobility improvement, pain reduction, sports injury recovery, and neuro-rehabilitation," Dr. Narwani said. She added that these technologies have redefined recovery by ensuring a higher degree of precision, consistency, and, most importantly, measurable outcomes for patients.
Bridging the Healthcare Gap: Mobile Units for Underserved Communities
Beyond the hospital walls, the diamond jubilee initiatives include a significant outreach component. Dr. Parag Sancheti announced plans to introduce Mobile OrthoCare Units. This initiative aims to extend the hospital's advanced orthopaedic care services to underserved and remote communities, ensuring that cutting-edge treatment is accessible to a wider population.
The dual launch of a major new facility and a futuristic AI lab on its 60th anniversary underscores Sancheti Hospital's commitment to blending scale with sophistication. It positions the Pune-based institution not just as a healthcare provider, but as an innovator aiming to set new benchmarks in orthopaedic treatment, rehabilitation, and medical education across India.
