Lucknow, Dec 15 : The Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here will start its tele-ICU service from January 2024. Director Prof R.K. Dhiman said that this would enable the institute to run 10 ICU beds, each through the hub and spoke model. The step has been taken in wake of shortage of ICU beds at SGPGI so that their institute-like care can be provided to patients in these mentee medical colleges. The director informed that the institute has been ranked as the third best among government medical education and patient care centres, but stressed on the need to strive for the top slot. He also informed that the institute was working for the NAAC and NIRF accreditations besides promoting a culture of research. He said that the next calendar year will see a number of new initiatives taking shape. Listing out some of them, he said: 'Five new departments have been approved for us ' hepatology, medical oncology, infectious diseases, head and neck surgery and paediatric endocrinology, besides, the advanced paediatric centre and advanced diabetes centres are also in the pipeline.' Stating that the institute had scaled significant heights in robotic surgery, he informed that they were in the process of procuring a gamma knife that can treat several cancerous and benign lesions. He urged the government to help the institute on the count besides stressing on the need for a public health centre and department of clinical pharmacology so that awareness activities and clinical trials may be carried out. /IANS