Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur's Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SPMSH) successfully conducted its first surgery at the newly functional operation theatre, the institute said.

The procedure, led by senior surgeon Dr R K Behera, involved the removal of a foreign body under emergent conditions. The patient was discharged afterward, highlighting the advanced day-care surgical services now available at the super speciality hospital.

With the OT operational, SPMSH plans to rapidly expand into a 220-bed in-patient hospital, enhancing its surgical and speciality care capabilities.

IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said, “It has been about three months since I assumed charge, and over this period, we have progressed from a minimally active polyclinic to a fully functional OPD, introduced state-of-the-art diagnostics, and now activated in-patient surgery. While this may appear routine elsewhere, for IIT Kharagpur, this marks a decisive breakthrough after years of stalemate.”

He added that the development reaffirms the institute's commitment to providing world-class healthcare to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community, while establishing SPMSH as a test bed for next-generation innovations in medical technology.