Past

Madras Medical College is one of the premier institutes in India, established in 1850. This institute is attached to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, which was started in 1664 to treat the sick soldiers of the East India Company.

Rheumatology services were started in 1972 at Madras Medical College under the Department of Medicine headed by Prof. K. Ramachandra. A separate Rheumatology department was established by our eminent Prof. A. N. Chandrasekaran, who was the Head of the Department from 1979 to 1996.

The Immunology laboratory under the Department of Rheumatology was established in 1982 and has been taking care of diagnostic services as well as organ transplant–related services since then. A separate physiotherapy wing has been functioning since 1973.

The super-specialty course in DM Rheumatology was started by Prof. A. N. Chandrasekaran in 1991 with an intake of two students per year. The number of DM postgraduate seats was increased to four per year in 2010.

A PhD programme was started in 1992, affiliated to The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University. The department was upgraded to the Institute of Rheumatology by Prof. Rajeswari in 2015, who was the first to hold the post of Director of the Institute of Rheumatology.

The Indian Journal of Rheumatology, earlier called JIRA (Journal of Indian Rheumatology Association), was started at Madras Medical College by Prof. A. N. Chandrasekaran.

The alumni of this institute are spread across the world and have held coveted posts in the offices of IRA and APLAR. The institute has organized national as well as international conferences in the past and has trained around 80 postgraduates so far.

Present

The Institute of Rheumatology at Madras Medical College is providing healthcare services to people from Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. All diagnostic services and treatments, including biologic therapy, are provided free of cost to the beneficiaries.

Outpatient services are functioning with specialty clinics such as the Lupus Clinic, Vasculitis Clinic, and Scleroderma/MCTD Clinic. Presently, the Institute is functioning with 60 beds, including 10 Rheumatology ICU beds.

It also has facilities for musculoskeletal ultrasound and nailfold video capillaroscopy. The Institute has contributed significantly to the development of Rheumatology by organizing patient awareness campaigns and workshops for healthcare providers.

Regular CMEs are conducted for the benefit of postgraduates, and workshops for undergraduate students are held every year. There are many publications from this institute in reputed national and international journals. Faculty members and postgraduates have received numerous awards.

Presently, the Institute is involved in a global clinical trial and multiple research initiatives, including patented AI-based projects.

Future

The Institute is planning to conduct collaborative research with departments of technology. A stem cell laboratory, in collaboration with the Department of Hematology, is planned, for which funds have already been allotted.

With a rich legacy, a dynamic present, and a visionary future, the Institute of Rheumatology at Madras Medical College truly stands as a beacon of excellence in patient care, education, and research.