DR. S.V. SINGH, OMBUDSPERSON - E-mail ID: ombudsperson@santosh.ac.in

Santosh Deemed to be University has a distinct locational advantage being surrounded by a diverse population, a unique blend of Urban, Rural, and Industrial set up in close vicinity. This diversity in target population has facilitated and catalyzed the enormous growth of the institution catering to a large population base of more than 20 lakh in its neighborhood and communities including underprivileged and marginalized strata of the society.

From inception itself, the strategic location and proximity to National Capital helped in acquisition of a cohort of experts and a pool of veteran professionals which echoed the distinct Vision and Mission of the University to be a Global Leader in Medical Education, Healthcare and Research and be recognized as a Premier Institute of Higher Learning. It also facilitated upgradation and enhancement of technology which has till date remained the major thrust area for the institution. Capacity building of human and material resources has been focused, prioritized, and largely achieved.

With a strong foundation and impactful existence with core priorities of Quality Education and Health Care, the University has come a long way with distinguishing features raising the Institutional Stature. True to its Mission as Higher Education Institution it keenly focusses on the Holistic Development of Students providing them with opportunities and resources which has largely been possible due to its outstanding location. The University has a rich tradition and culture of promoting outreach and extension initiatives with active participation of students thus affirming a concrete step towards lifelong Holistic learning. Students are inculcated with ethical values and compassionate attitude towards all individuals and treat them with dignity and respect.

Good connectivity with National Routes and subsequently ease of International access has led to a student diversity with students ranging from more than 21 states and U.Ts for various programs. The University by virtue of its vicinity to industrial area facilitates clinical exposure to a vast array of industrial and lifestyle diseases which offers opportunities for specialized learning and research. With its core strength of priority and emphasis in the hub of industry in Ghaziabad, research topics are selected of which a remarkable example is a study on occupational hazards of sewage workers undertaken by Department of Respiratory medicine. Additionally, there is focus on treatment of Drug resistant TB in a designated ward, DOTS center, ART center and participation in National programs like NTEP. This also has extended opportunities for external collaborations under MOU with I can Care for tobacco cessation, a program by Department of Public Health Dentistry which was extensively propagated in the industrial area.

A need for psychological boost and behavioral modification was perceived by Santosh hospital amongst industry workers and consequently a support system was initiated in the Department of Psychiatry which offers counselling services inhouse as well as through telemedicine. The direct access to the premises for population in distress and need effectuated their recovery. The institution also supports health care workers, faculty and students during episodes of emotional stress. These facilities were further augmented during Covid and post Covid which guided and rescued Covid patients and their relatives who were emotionally shattered.

Institutional Social Responsibility is a prime focus area for the University and the abundance of rural backdrop gives impetus to its outreach and extension activities ranging from School Health programs to rural health camps and adoption of Villages. “Reach the Unreached” is the goal with health initiatives that educate and support healthcare needs of deprived and marginalized section of society. It is also an opportunity for students to interact with masses and enrich their knowledge and experiences right from beginning of medical education which is instrumental in imbibing social values and creating an indelible impact in shaping their personality and career.

An updated infrastructure, expert manpower, cutting edge technology are all contributors to the growth of a Health care institution. Santosh deemed to be University has continuously striven for upgradation and boost of all these ingredients, result of which is an effective and affordable patient care to a constantly increasing footfall.

Santosh Hospital, in the recent Covid Pandemic was christened as the lighthouse of Ghaziabad by Govt of U.P for taking care of a population of more than 20 lakhs. It was the only Level-3 facility which amalgamated expert patient care with technology providing facility of e-ICU and Telemedicine with a positive impact on patient outcomes with lowest mortality rate. The University was awarded TCS and CII Award for Most Innovative Health Care Practices for its E-ICU model.

Owing to its strategic location in an area which is the epicenter of education, industry academia interaction is a vivid reality. University encourages its students to develop entrepreneurial bent of mind by supporting new ideas in the Santosh Innovation and Incubation Centre. There is an in-built environment of nurturing confidence of students to pick up Short term projects that help them get hands on training in their area of interest by providing them opportunities for On Field, Industry visits and Industry-Academic Interaction

With a robust teaching program, field learning and vast man-power trained heath care providers and infrastructure University looks towards the next milestone to turn challenges into opportunities, revamp existing infrastructure, an eco-friendly green campus, optimal use of resources both human and technology thereby enhancing our performance and capacity building. In the pursuit for implementing NEP 2020 it lays emphasis on bringing innovation and critical thinking thereby promoting translational research for a productive and memorable outcome giving priority to National Ethos and Global perspectives for International Tie Ups.

The University has taken advantage of its strategic location thereby focusing on its thrust area which is holistic lifelong learning, capacity building incorporating enhanced use of technology including emerging trends like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to address its priority focus of institutional social responsibility and extending the benefits through its outreach initiatives.