For many families on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a routine surgery is a challenge, as it is difficult to afford a long journey away from home, away from loved ones, and away from the comfort of familiar care. That changed today, as a newly established Operation Theatre and Semi-ICU facility opened its doors at Amrita Health Centre, in Shadipur, South Andaman.
The facility was inaugurated in the gracious presence of Hon’ble Member of Parliament Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, along with Amrita Swamiji Durga Prasad Ji, Dr. Omkar Singh, Dr. Manish of Shyamala Clinic, and Maryam Bibi, former District Parishad Chairperson. It was a gathering of community leaders united by a shared hope for better care on the islands.
Established by Amrita Hospital, Kochi, the new OT and ICU were built with a simple but powerful purpose: to strengthen healthcare on the islands and spare patients the added burden of travel during already difficult times. With the new facilities in place, islanders will now have access to a wider range of elective surgical procedures — including hernia repair, appendicitis surgery, gynaecological care, hydrocele and gallbladder-related surgeries, and fracture treatment, among other general surgical interventions.
For a community long accustomed to travelling off-island for such care, the difference this can make is profound. No longer will a hernia operation or a gallbladder procedure mean days away from family, added expense, and the anxiety of unfamiliar surroundings. Healing can now happen closer to home, surrounded by loved ones.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray expressed heartfelt appreciation for Amrita Hospital, Kochi and the dedicated team at the Health Centre for their commitment to strengthening care in the Islands. He voiced his hope that the new facility would offer people timely, quality treatment — care that meets them with compassion when they need it most. He further conveyed his wish that, with the blessings of Amma, Amrita Health Centre would continue to provide quality healthcare at costs the community can afford.
The occasion was also marked by the presence of Shri Durga Prasad, Centre In-charge; Dr. Omkar Singh, MD (Medicine) and former Director of Health Services; and Dr. Manish, In-charge of the IP department — alongside doctors, paramedical staff, distinguished guests, and devotees, all gathered to celebrate this milestone together.
It was, in every sense, a beginning built on care — a reminder that when a community comes together, even an operation theatre can carry the weight of hope. As the people of Sri Vijaya Puram look ahead, this new facility stands as a promise: that quality healthcare, delivered with warmth and dignity, is now a little closer to home.
