Visakhapatnam :
Healthcare wise, it has been a happening year for Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam successfully conducting path breaking surgeries like lung and heart transplants respectively and several milestones achieved in cardiothorasic transplants and endoscopic robotic surgeries. But a renowned cardiologist from Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) being caught for bribery earlier this year took some of the sheen off the noble profession.
On the occasion of Doctors’ Day (July 1), eminent physicians from these cities said that while these breakthroughs will go a long way in boosting the reputation of the state and these cities as ‘medical tourism’ hubs, the shortcomings such as lack of affordable healthcare, inadequate trauma and intensive care facilities and lack of awareness about organ transplantations continue to plague healthcare in the state.
According to medical experts, the area of cardiac and related ailments has seen one of the highest advancements with procedures like lung transplant and robot assisted minimally invasive heart surgeries. The launch of the world’s first drug-eluting absorbable stent in the state in December 2012 was another noted breakthrough. in the treatment of coronary artery disease.
“We conducted the first lung transplant in AP last September. Hyderabad is now one of the three centres apart from Mumbai and Chennai to offer this crucial transplant,” said A Gopalakrishna Gokhale, head of Yashoda Hospital Secunderabad’s cardiothoracic department, who incidentally conducted AP’s first heart transplant in 2004. Vizag, however, saw its first heart transplant in December 2012 at Care Hospital.
When it comes to robotic procedures, Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, has been carrying out these surgeries since the last three months, pointed out Dr Vijay Dikshit, chief cardiac surgeon from Apollo Hyderabad. Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, chairman, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, said his hospital had conducted the first flexible robotic endoscopic surgery for colon and stomach cancer.
According to Reddy, the hospital had also carried out the ‘Poem procedure’ for a condition called achalasia cardia (difficulty in swallowing) and developed a new stent for treating endoscopic pancreatic necrosis, which is being taken up internationally.
Dr S Vijay Mohan, from Care Hospital, Hyderabad, said that city has shown an improvement when it comes to transplant surgeries and joint replacements and said that stem cell therapy is showing promise. “Liver transplant from live donors has taken off and so have high-end orthopaedic procedures. Stem cell therapy to cure acute ailments is also showing promise in Hyderabad.”
“In the field of organ transplant, after the (NIMS) became a nodal centre for Jeevandan project (cadaver organ transplantation), we have conducted around 15 renal transplants,” said Dr R Gopinath, from NIMShead of the department of anesthesia and ICU at NIMS adding that more awareness about organ donation and transplantation is required.
Care Hospital’s senior cardiologist Dr Sunil Kapoor pointed out that for high BP patients, who don’t respond to medicines, renal de-nervation therapy using radio-frequency in kidney arteries is the latest procedure to hit India and is already being conducted in Hyderabad.
The research scenario is also heartening in the city as principal of Andhra Medical College Dr Kalpana Subrahmanyam said, “New MBBS graduates are opting for research in biochemistry and our 18 PG seats are full this year. It would have been better if the Indian government gave more funds and encouragement for research to tap the best brains.”
According to general physician Kutikuppala Surya Rao, emergence of new hospitals in the city is a big boon while for Dr C V Rao, principal of Gitam medical college, the setting up of this new medical college has added to the sheen of Vizag.
On the flipside, most doctors pointed out that with the phenomenal rise in the treatment cost , medicare has become unaffordable for the common man. “Patients are subjected to unnecessary tests. Doctors also go for defensive practice and are dictated more by the commercial corporate system. The absence of a family physician has also worsened the scenario,” said Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao from Vizag.
“There’s also a dearth of anesthetists, intensivists and well-equipped ICUs, developed emergency and trauma care in almost all hospitals though accidents have also gone up,” averred N Subrahmanyam, renowned consultant neurosurgeon and chairperson of Academy of Medical Specialties, Indian Medical Association, AP State branch.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Sulogna Mehta, TNN / July 02nd, 2013