The Symbiosis International University (SIU) will soon have a tie-up with the prestigious Harvard University in the US for its minimal invasive surgery centre of excellence that is slated to come up at the Lavale campus, 20 kms from the city. The centre is a part of medicity project where Symbiosis will be investing Rs 150 crore over the next five years.

The SIU will develop the centre of excellence on 30-acre land in Lavale where it also plans to start a medical college by 2015. “The Harvard University also has a world-class centre of minimal invasive surgery department. The tie-up will prove beneficial for research students of the centre, as they will get to learn from top class visiting faculty. It will also help promote medical tourism, as expert doctors will be visiting the campus regularly where we plan to have a 100-bed hospital, especially for patients who will undergo minimal invasive surgery,” said Vidya Yerawadekar, principal director of Symbiosis.

Yerawadekar, along with director of Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences Rajeev Yerawadekar, visited Harvard University last week while she was on the US tour as a part of the FICCI delegation that had gone with the Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. “We held talks with John Enersson, head of minimal invasive surgery department of Harvard University and he accepted in-principle the proposal. He had visited Lavale campus a few months ago and had shown his willingness for the tie-up,” said Yerawadekar.

Yerawadekar said the minimal invasive surgery technique or surgery through laparoscope was becoming more popular and had a great scope in future. “Symbiosis decided to start the centre in this backdrop and will commence the courses in January 2011. Shailesh Puntambekar, leading city doctor in laparoscopic surgeries, will head the centre,” she said.

“The idea to have a centre of excellence in minimal invasive surgery is to attract medical tourism too. We hope to attract patients from across the globe as the centre will have world-renowned doctors and top-of-the-shelf facilities at competitive rates,” she said.

“The centre will be a part of medicity project of the varsity. In future, we also plan to start medical college with a 500-bed hospital. It will come up by 2015 and we hope to continue the collaboration with Harvard further,” she said.