Madras Medical College (MMC) is among the six institutions selected for the ICMR Centre for Advanced Research (CAR): Rural Healthcare Transformation (RAHAT) project.
E. Theranirajan, dean of MMC and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said that this project was to facilitate research activities in rural areas. “Research studies are concentrated in urban areas. This project aims at taking research to the rural parts through medical students and postgraduates, including those from the Department of Community Medicine,” he said.
Once the initial formalities, including entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) are completed, further discussion on research proposals and feasibility will be held, he said, adding: “This is a three-year project. We will look at what area-specific studies can be taken up.”
As per the MoU, the current study was aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a scalable and sustainable rural healthcare model, known as “Smart Village” initiative. This model will integrate digital health solutions and community engagement to enhance healthcare access, improve health outcomes and build research capacity in rural India.
