A spokesman for Narayana said the Saudi government is seeking the hospital’s help in setting up a telemedicine center in Riyadh to provide remote health care to its citizens.

As a pioneer in using telecommunications and information technology to provide clinical health care remotely, the privately-run super-specialty cardiac hospital uses telemedicine to administer affordable medical treatment in distant areas.

“Exposure to the working of telemedicine at our facility and its multiple benefits impressed the medical students in the delegation who discussed its operation with our chairman Devi Prasad Shetty during an interactive session,” the official said.

The youth delegation also went around the hospital’s sprawling health city and saw firsthand its pediatric facility where children, including infants, are treated for cardiac ailments.

“At the pediatric ward, the Saudi youths interacted with doctors, house surgeons, nurses and some young patients and enquired about the facilities and the nature of treatment for heart ailments,” the spokesman said.

The delegation is on a 10-day visit to India which started on March 22 to promote bilateral relations in the field of science and technology and for a firsthand account of the developments made by Indian institutes and universities.

Dr. Yousuf Al-Saadoun, undersecretary at the Foreign Ministry for economic and cultural affairs and head of the delegation, said Narayana Hrudayalaya was selected for the visit to make delegates aware of the blessing of health and how poor heart patients are given treatment there free of charge.

At ISRO the delegation, comprising 34 students from secondary schools to college level and six members of the media, were briefed about the highlights of the Indian space program and applications over the past five decades.

“The Saudi youth evinced a keen interest in the activities of the Indian space agency and participated in a lively interaction with a team of scientists on the occasion,” said a senior ISRO official.

The delegation was also taken on a tour of the facilities and the permanent exhibition displaying the various models of satellites and launch vehicles.

R.S. Bhatia, group head for planning and development at ISRO, said his organization has started cooperating with King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology in Riyadh.

“There are 13,000 workers at ISRO, and about 80 percent of them are specialized scientists,” Bhatia said, adding India has launched 65 satellites for various purposes.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the team’s visit to Hyderabad, Bangalore and New Delhi.

“The objective is to promote Saudi-Indian relations and benefit from the Indian experience in the field of information and communication technology,” said Saudi Embassy official Badr Algarni. The program aims to enable youths to learn from other cultures and foster friendly relations between Saudis and Indians.