New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi (AIIMS), New Delhi and Intuitive on Tuesday signed an MoU to establish an innovative new training centre for robotic-assisted surgery at the hospital.

The AIIMS da Vinci RAS training centre will focus on equipping surgeons and care teams with the skills and technology training necessary to perform robotic-assisted surgery across specialities including urology, gynaecology, general surgery and more.

This industry-academia collaboration will advance the adoption of robotic-assisted surgery in India by providing state-of-the-art technology training for more surgeons.

"We believe the AIIMS da Vinci RAS training centre will serve as a beacon of excellence, fostering training, skill, and knowledge development for the next generation of surgeons,” said Gary S. Guthart, CEO, Intuitive.

"With the rising disease burden in India -- cancers, urologic, and gynaecological conditions requiring soft tissue surgery -- the demand for advanced technologies like robotic-assisted surgery is growing. The need for associated training is clear in India,” added Dr M. Srinivas Director of AIIMS.

As part of the MoU, Intuitive will train surgeons and also provide ongoing support and training for surgeons and care teams throughout their careers, and as they advance in their use of RAS.

As part of Intuitive's continuing effort to establish strong robotics programmes across India, the company has already established three training centres in different parts of the country.

More than 850 surgeons in India have been trained on da Vinci technology to date and are helping drive a significant increase in its adoption. "The da Vinci system offers enhanced precision, flexibility, and control, leading to improved surgical accuracy, reduced recovery times, and better patient outcomes," Srinivas said.

The Director informed that as an early adopter of robotic surgery, AIIMS has a pool of experienced robotic surgeons who will mentor and train new surgeons nationwide. "This centre will play a crucial role in advancing surgical skills and elevating patient care standards across India," he said.