Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore has unveiled plans to set up a new medical college and a teaching hospital on its Chittoor campus and announced a partnership agreement with Azim Premji Foundation to offer value-based healthcare and medical education, primarily for the disadvantaged. 

As a part of the agreement, the Foundation will extend a Rs 500 crore grant to CMC Vellore to set up the medical college and upgrade the existing 120-bed hospital into a teaching hospital with 422 beds.

The grant will also enable CMC Vellore, a pioneer in medical education, to extend the distinctive elements of their MBBS education and focus on the discipline of Primary-cum-Secondary Healthcare (PSHC) to address the widening disparities in the Indian healthcare sector. 

Dr Solomon Sathishkumar, Principal of CMC Vellore, said, “Education at the Chittoor Campus began with allied health science courses and a College of Nursing five years ago. We hope that the new Medical College will evolve into a national resource for the advancement of the discipline of Primary-cum-Secondary Healthcare, with a mandate to train general physicians who can function in any eventual role, but with preferential emphasis to quality primary and secondary care.”