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Bangalore: The Netherlands-based Maastricht
University will conduct joint research with Narayana Nethralaya in
this tech hub on preventive eye care, leading to discovery of
cost-effective medicine for eye ailments, an official said.
"We hope the joint research in ophthalmology will lead to finding
affordable medicine for various eye ailments and reduce the cost
of treatment," Maastricht University medical centre Chief
Executive, Guy Peeters, told reporters here Wednesday, after
signing an agreement with the leading eye hospital in the city.
As a leading super specialty eye hospital, Nethralaya provides
advance eye care and conducts applied research in stem cells,
molecular techniques, genetics, ocular immunology and infectious
disease.
"We selected Narayana Nethralaya after due diligence taking into
consideration its capabilities and track record. Though we have
generic agreements with other medical institutions in India, this
is the first tie-up, which mandates setting up a centre of
excellence for research into ophthalmology," Peeters said on the
occasion.
The Dutch varsity has agreements with the state-run National
Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans) and
Narayana Hrudayala, a super specialty heart hospital in Bangalore,
and Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara (JSS) University at Mysore,
about 150 km from here.
Admitting that the thrust in India was more on treating ailments
with drugs and therapies, Nethralaya founder Chairman Bhujang
Shetty said the joint research with the Dutch varsity would be to
identify the cause for eye ailments.
"We will focus on drug discovery from the preventive perspective
to benefit developing nations like India where population density
is high and preventive medicine is the way forward," Shetty
observed.
Besides joint research, the agreement envisages faculty exchange
programmes in healthcare, working with overseas partners on
projects and organising international conferences on eye care.
"The cost of treatment is very high in India because we have to
pay for patents pharmaceutical companies hold. The joint research
will enable us to identify the root cause of ailments and find
preventive medicine, which will become affordable," said
Nethralaya vice-chairman, Rohit Shetty.
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