The Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) is a unique postgraduate medical institution devoted to the study of chest diseases. It is a University of Delhi maintained institution and is funded entirely by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The institute is ideally located in the heart of the main campus of the University of Delhi, providing the requisite academic environment. The Institute fulfills the national need for providing relief to large number of patients in the community suffering from chest diseases. It has eminently discharged its role and has earned a unique place in the field of Chest Medicine.

The need for a teaching and research center in the chest diseases was spelt out in the Bhore Committee Report (Ministry of Health) by highlighting an acute paucity of trained personnel in the specialty of chest diseases in the country. The Directorate of Ministry of Health, Government of India, therefore, approached Sir Maurice Gwyer, the then Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi, to start a course in chest diseases at the earliest. In 1946, the Committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor for this purpose recommended the establishment of a Chest Institute. A proposal to this effect was accordingly formulated by the Vice-Chancellor and submitted to the Government. Utilizing the teaching and training facilities of the Lady Hardinge Medical College, Irwin and Silver Jubilee Hospitals in Delhi, a diploma course in chest diseases was started in 1947 with Dr. R. Viswanathan, the then Deputy Director General, Health Services, Government of India, as the Honorary Director of the course. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Deputy Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone of the Institute on 6th April 1949. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the then Union Minister of Health, formally opened the Institute on 12th January 1953 and Dr. R. Viswanathan was appointed as the first Director, VPCI. Initially, the institute had only four basic departments viz. Cardiorespiratory Physiology, Biochemistry, Bacteriology and Pathology, which were equipped with the assistance provided under the Colombo Plan of 1954. The Institute has been training postgraduate students in MD degree and diploma courses in Pulmonary Medicine, MD degree courses in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology and PhD programs in various specialties related to chest medicine. The Institute also runs outpatient and in patient services to provide state-of-the-art facilities for diagnosis and management of patients suffering from chest diseases. The discovery of lung deflation receptors reported by Prof. A.S. Paintal in 1955, was a historical landmark in understanding the functioning of lung and its diseases like oedema and congestion. In the same year, Prof. R.L. Riley, a visiting scientist from John Hopkins, introduced the methods for analysis of blood gases and pulmonary mechanics at VPCI. Dr. Hans F. Smetana, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA, worked in the Institute for a year and was instrumental in putting the Department of Pathology on a firm footing.

The clinical wing, named as Clinical Research Centre (CRC) was started around 1956. It was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 24th October 1957. In 1959, right heart catheterization in chronic lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension was started. This facility was later used in the study of problems of high altitude pulmonary oedema, which took a very heavy toll during the Indo-Chinese War in 1962. In 1959, the Department of Medical Mycology was created, followed by the Department of Allergy in the early 1960s. Subsequently, other departments/units viz. Biophysics, Clinical Biochemistry, High Altitude Physiology, Pharmacology, Radiology and Respiratory Virology were added.

In 1964, Prof. R. Viswanathan retired as Director after 11 years of dedicated service and outstanding contribution to the development of VPCI. The eminent scientist, Prof. A.S. Paintal who guided the destiny of the Institute for over 26 years, succeeded him. Thereafter, Prof. H.S. Randhawa, a medical mycologist of international repute, took over in November 1991 and served as the Director for seven years. The present Director, Dr. V.K. Vijayan, an internationally renowned Chest Physician, took charge on October 5, 1998.

The Golden Jubilee of its foundation was celebrated on 6th April 1999 and an annual "VPCI Oration" was instituted on this occasion. Since then, an eminent biomedical scientist delivers the VPCI Oration every year on 6th April. A Compendium of Activities (1949-1999) was prepared as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations and a copy of the Compendium was received by His Excellency, Mr. K.R. Narayanan, the then President of India on 12th November 1999. A 24-hour Respiratory Emergency Services was started on 14th June 1999 and a new ward with additional 40 beds was added on 30th August 2000 increasing the total in patient strength of the Institute to 60. A spiral CT Scan Centre was inaugurated by Dr. C.P. Thakur, the then Minister of Health and Family Welfare on 15th March 2001. A full-fledged sleep laboratory , a video bronchoscopy facility, an intensive care unit, a tobacco cessation clinic, a Clinical Pharmacology unit, a Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise testing facility and a state-of- the-art oxygen plant were added recently. The Animal House is fully renovated and has been provided with 100% fresh air facility and the water for drinking is purified by reverse osmosis. In addition, air showers at the entry and air curtains at the exit are provided in the Animal House to have a dust free environment. As part of computerization, a Local Area Network (LAN) was established and all faculty members were provided with computers and Internet facilities. Action has been initiated to upgrade and renovate the Intensive Care Unit with six beds. On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Inauguration of the Institute, an International Conference on Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences was organized at India Habitat Centre from 12-14 January 2003. Several eminent speakers of International and National repute participated as faculty.