A brand-new Whole Body 3.0 Tesla MRI machine has been unveiled by the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, India. This machine is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software that is intended to deliver advanced imaging capabilities for a variety of clinical specialties. The device is the most recent model of the most cutting-edge 3 Tesla MRI scanner available anywhere in the world, and it was unveiled by Union Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Rajesh Bhushan.

The new machine, according to Prof. Vivek Lal, Director of PGIMER, will help shorten the lengthy waitlist for MRI appointments at the facility, while Prof. M. S. Sandhu, Head of the Department of Radiodiagnosis, claimed that the potent hardware combined with advanced applications (software) based on artificial intelligence will improve diagnosis and treatment planning for all clinical specialties at the hospital.

The 3 Tesla MRI machine can provide clear, vivid images of the human body because it has a magnetic field twice as strong as the typical 1.5 Tesla MRI equipment. The device is perfect for imaging the brain’s vascular system, musculoskeletal system, tiny bones, and brain function. The machine also includes a ‘Quiet Suite’ for up to 96% noise reduction while scanning, wide bore and in-bore lighting for a more comfortable patient experience, biomatrix technology for improved patient scanning, and wide bore and in-bore illumination.

The device has advanced imaging capabilities for all bodily areas, including automated liver volumetry, high-resolution brain tractography, functional MRI, spectroscopy, perfusion MRI, 4D flow measures, liver elastography, and fat quantification, among others. The advanced MRI imaging capability on the new machine, according to Prof. Paramjeet Singh, will provide early insights for cancer detection and characterization, epilepsy and seizure disorders, sports injuries and rehabilitation, liver, pancreas, kidney, intestinal, and other abdominal disorders, spine anomalies, nerve compressions, white matter anomalies in the brain, neonatal and paediatric disorders, cardiac morphology and viability, and whole body screening.

The device is anticipated to considerably enhance the institute’s patient care offerings by offering better diagnosis and treatment planning for a range of clinical specialties.

The prominent Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh has received in-principle approval from the Standing Finance Committee to start the MBBS programme, which is a big development for medical students in India. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has designated PGIMER as a deemed university and given it the designation of Institution of Eminence. The action is anticipated to increase awareness of the institute’s development, which up until now has only been focused on postgraduate programmes.

There are intentions to begin the course with 100 seats, while the precise number of MBBS seats has not yet been determined. The hospital’s governing authority will now receive the agenda for the MBBS course for additional approval. Rajesh Bhushan, the Union Health Secretary, presided over the meeting of the Standing Budget Committee, which also authorized a number of other projects, including multi-level parking, 11 MD seats for the blood transfusion department, and non-teaching positions for the telemedicine institute.

The decision to launch the MBBS programme at PGIMER is anticipated to increase possibilities for aspiring medical professionals and improve local medical education and healthcare infrastructure. Today, 92 general category MBBS seats are available for admission at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chandigarh’s Sector 32. With the start of the undergraduate program at PGIMER, people’s attention will be drawn to the development of the institute.

Along with paramedical undergraduate degrees like BSC Nursing, PGIMER has been offering postgraduate medical courses like DM, MCH, MD, MS, MSC, and MHA. The institute’s facilities for medical education and research are anticipated to improve much more with the addition of the MBBS course. According to Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, deputy director of administration, the SFC meeting covered roughly 20 issues on the agenda, and the committee gave the MBBS programme its in-principle approval.

The acceptance of the MBBS programme at PGIMER is encouraging for prospective doctors, especially for those who are studying for the NEET (National Eligibility and Common Entrance Exam), which is the national entrance test for admission to Indian medical schools. The action is anticipated to give applicants to medical colleges more options and solve the nation’s medical workforce shortage.