Gujarat CM Vijaybhai Rupani Inaugurates the New Campus of the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar (IIPH G)
Gandhinagar: Sri. Vijaybhai Rupani, Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurated the state-of-the-art new campus of the Indian Institute of Public Health – Gandhinagar (IIPHG), the western regional campus of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Other eminent dignitaries present on the occasion included Sh. Nitinbhai Patel, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Sh. Shankarbhai Chaudhary, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat, Sh. N. R. Narayana Murthy, Founder Infosys and Chairman, PHFI, Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President, PHFI, Sh. Sudhir Mankad, Former Chief Secretary of Gujarat and Chairman, IIPHG Advisory Council and Prof. Dileep Mavalankar, Director IIPHG along with special invitees, state bureaucrats, faculty, staff and students of IIPH, Gandhinagar and PHFI.
Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG), is the first of the five institute’s setup by PHFI that was established in 2008. Recognized as the 1st Public Health University in Gujarat, the institute is a University established under IIPHG Act 2015 of Gujarat State. Built in a sprawling 50 acre campus that was allocated by Government of Gujarat, the foundation stone was laid by the honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi (the then Chief Minister of Gujarat) in 2007.
An ISO 9001-2008 Certified Institute, IIPHG aims to strengthen the overall health system in the country through education, training, research and advocacy / policy initiatives. With a capacity to train 300 students, IIPHG aims to work with key stakeholders towards collective action on public health and catalyse efforts for building a healthier Gujarat and India. With the new infrastructure available, IIPHG has started expanding its teaching and training portfolio and now attracts students from diverse backgrounds like fresh graduates, government officials etc., towards quality academic programmes and short term trainings in various disciplines of public health such as Masters in Public Health, Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health Management, Associate Fellow of Industrial Health, Doctorate level programs along with on-campus and E-learning mode.
Sri N. R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman, PHFI said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of this auspicious beginning of the permanent campus of IIPH, Gandhinagar. This Institute will bea hub for research and training to advance innovations and provide solutions for improving health service delivery in India. By integrating innovation and modernisation with public health, especially drawing on the advantages that the state of Gujarat has to offer, outreach and effectiveness of health care delivery can be greatly enhanced from here to the country and beyond. This will truly benefit society at large.”
Professor K. Srinath Reddy, President, PHFI said, “IIPH Gandhinagar will draw on a number of National and International collaborations in establishing an India relevant but globally connected institution of excellence in public health education and research. We will blend multi-disciplinary learning to create practical pathways for improving the design and delivery of health programmes. IIPH Gandhinagar will assist not only the state of Gujarat but will also advise states in the Western region in promoting health and wellbeing as well strengthening health services.”
Professor Dileep Mavalankar, Director – Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar said, “We are extremely grateful for the support extended by the Government of Gujarat by taking keen and active interest in supporting the establishment of the permanent campus for the Institute. We will continue to support the State government through our capacity building and training programmes at various levels to enhance skills and expertise of health personnel, to enable the development of a skilled public health workforce which will serve the state and the country.”
IIPHG faculties have been actively engaged in various health systems research and advocacy activities supported by State, National and International agencies. The institute has worked on research related to maternal health, child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, environmental and occupational health, health policy and health systems, and public health nutrition. Research conducted as part of various projects develop new knowledge and also evaluate the practice of public health or policies. Based on these projects, inputs have been provided to the government to plan and improve the health services in Gujarat.
Some key research projects having significant policy implications are:
Developing the first Heat Health Action Plan in the country for Ahmedabad city, now replicated in states of Maharashtra, Telangana, and Odisha.
Large Scale Innovative Pro-Poor Programmes focussed on reducing Maternal Mortality in India
GIS-based planning for setting up new health infrastructures – community health centres, primary health centres and sub centres
Towards Universal Health Coverage
Conquer Hepatitis B
Improve Young People Reproductive and Sexual Health and enhance empowerment
Dietary intake and nutritional status of under 2 children in Ahmedabad
Assessment and Evaluation of the Safe Child Birth
A comprehensive evaluation of an innovative financing scheme to improve maternal health called “Chiranjeevi Yojana”
Suggesting new architectural designs of health centers; proposing posting and transfer policies for doctors.
Cost Effectiveness of mHealth interventions in improving Maternal and Child Health
Control of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia
IIPHG has also developed research collaborations with both National and International agencies, including Indian Council for Medical Research, Department of Biotechnology, NRDC USA, University of Aberdeen UK, Karolinska Institute Sweden, Liverpool Institute of Tropical Medicine, UK and other National and International Organizations.
This Institute has put its theory to practice by building an energy efficient or ‘greencampus’ that saves energy and reduces the water usage considerably, along with an efficient artificial lighting system for minimising energy consumption without compromising the visual comfort in the building. The Institute has four labs housing cutting-edge technology, ten classrooms and two lecture halls, apart from a state-of-the-art Multipurpose Auditorium and a fully equipped Library and Knowledge Centre donated by the Khemka Foundation and the Heart Foundation and Research Institute. It has a campus hostel with 150 rooms for housing over 200 students.