KOLKATA, July 22, 2021: Beginning July 2021, a 2-month-old with almost zero eyesight was brought to Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata. On examination, Dr Debabrata Halder, senior consultant ophthalmologist (paediatric), found out that the child was suffering from congenital total cataract in both eyes. “In such cases, however, surgeries are carried out when children are three or four years old. And to operate on a two-month-old’s eyes is a big challenge because of the age as well as the delicate nature of the eyes”, said Dr Halder.As a consequence of having total cataract in both eyes from birth, there was a hindrance to vision development in the child. Hence Dr Debabrata Halder, who was assisted by a team of doctors, decided to operate on the child’s eyes at the age of only two months. But due to the host of other health complications like the absence of anus, fistula connecting rectum and urinary passage, and some heart defects, administering anaesthesia was a big challenge. Dr Debabrata Halder said, “The hour-long surgery has cleared both the eyes of cataract and the baby’s vision is absolutely perfect. A delayed surgery could have permanently affected the vision, which is why we had to take the chance of operating at such a young age, which is not done normally.”He also added, “For us, it was a race against time. If we would have delayed the operation, it would have affected the development of visual fixation (the capability to stare in a particular direction), which normally develops between the eighth and tenth week and we would have crossed this crucial period. But following the procedure that was carried out, the child will now have a better vision and can lead life normally.” Following the successful surgery, the child has been released.On this note, Mr Rana Dasgupta, CEO, Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, continues to be the leader in path-breaking procedures. Our committed clinicians, with the help of state-of-the-art technology, carried out this rare procedure on the two-month-old baby, who will now be able to see the world with her eyes.” About Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (AHEL)It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap C. Reddy made a pioneering endeavour by launching India’s first corporate hospital – Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.Now, as Asia’s foremost trusted integrated healthcare group, its presence includes over 12,000 beds across 71 Hospitals, 3,300 Pharmacies, over 90 Primary Care Clinics  and 150 diagnostic centers, 110  plus Telemedicine Centres, over 15 medical education centres and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research, Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of new medical advancements with the most recent investment being the commissioning of South East Asia’s very first Proton Therapy Centre in Chennai.Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual. In a rare honour, the Government of India had issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo’s contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010.For 35 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Its hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals in the country for advanced medical services. For more information:Amitava Chakraborty | amitava_c@apollohospitals.com | 9804000201Sumantika Choudhury | sumantika.choudhury@adfactorspr.com| 9830056185

As an exclusive center for the elderly, Apollo Elder Care follows a unique holistic approach to Geriatric CareFirst phase of the launch saw inauguration of Apollo Elder Care centers in six major Indian cities20 January 2017, Hyderabad: Apollo Hospitals, one of Asia’s largest integrated healthcare provider, today launched ‘Apollo Elder Care’, a dedicated centre for well-being and health of elderly people. The unique Geriatric Care initiative will be a comprehensive center for understanding the medical background of an elderly and offer customized care. In the first phase of the launch, the service will be available across Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi and Bhubaneshwar.Apollo Elder Care will be a one stop service to address physical, psychological, medicinal and financial concerns of a patient and his caregivers. Apollo Elder Care is a specialised geriatric care initiative where proficient geriatricians and allied medical professionals provide comprehensive geriatric assessment to address all-round needs of a patient and recommend the best suited treatment approach. “Health issues facing the elderly can be very complex and puzzling. The elderly often suffer from more than one medical problem and have conditions that can be obscured by unusual symptoms. At Apollo we felt that elderly care needs a special environment and attention that can help them improve their functional ability, physical health, cognition and mental health”, saidDr Hariprasad, President, Apollo Hospitals Group.The dedicated Geriatric Care centres have been divided into four zones-Out Patient Care, In Patient Care, Emergency Care and Home Health Care and will offer comprehensive physical, cognitive and psychosocial assessment, a personal care plan, recommendations to improve health and functional ability, rehabilitation, safe use of medicines and will address home and emergency care for the elderly. “Though population ageing is a global phenomenon, India faces a specific demographic challenge with about 8 percent of the population over the age of 65 in 2014, and with this number is expected to grow up to 20 percent by 2050. This necessitates healthy ageing as a chief prerequisite for the Indian population, and a holistic approach to their health needs is one of the current foci of the Indian health sector”, added Dr Hariprasad. As a latest edge of Apollo Hospitals’ constant thrive to innovate healthcare delivery, and dedicated to the overall health and welfare of the elderly, Apollo Elder Care follows a holistic methodology that employs the best ways to maintain or improve functional ability, physical health, cognition and mental health of our senior populace.The core treatment facilities available at the centre includes care towards preventing and managing fractures, dizziness (vision care), memory loss, depression, psychological revitalization, vaccinations, fatigue, unsteadiness or weakness, physiotherapy, diet counselling and medicine management.About Apollo Elder CareApollo Elder Care is a specialized geriatric care initiative aimed at providing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment with the help of proficient geriatricians and allied medical professionals. As an exclusive and holistic care program to geriatric patients from Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Elder Care provides the following comprehensive solutions:Comprehensive physical, cognitive & psycho-social assessmentDevelopment of a personal care planSuper-specialists recommended surgical programsAid in post-operative or post illness recovery (rehabilitation)Recommendations to improve health & functional abilityA highly trained multi-disciplinary team at Apollo Elder Care treats and also monitors its implementation – ensuring that the health and social care services are aligned to achieve the best outcomes. The team also coordinates with all the relevant medical caregivers, making the treatment convenient and safe.About Apollo HospitalsIt was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap Reddy made a pioneering endeavour by launching India’s first corporate hospital – Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Over the years Apollo Hospitals has established itself as home to the largest cardiac practice in India with over 160,000 cardiac surgeries. Apollo Hospitals is also the world’s largest private cancer care provider and runs the world’s leading solid organ transplant program having conducted over 1,500 solid organ transplants in 2014-15 alone.Now, as Asia’s largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes 9,554 beds across 69 Hospitals, 2,326 Pharmacies, over 172 Primary Care and Diagnostic Clinics, 148 plus Telemedicine Centres and 80 plus Apollo Munich Insurance branches panning the length and breadth of the country. As an integrated healthcare service provider with health insurance services, projects consultancy services, medical education centres and a Research Foundation with a focus on global clinical trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research, Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of new medical breakthroughs with the most recent investment being that of commissioning the first Proton Therapy Centre across Asia, Africa and Australia in Chennai, India. Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of International standards within the reach of every individual.In a rare honour, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo’s contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 28 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.   

Removal of bullet from liver – minimally invasive surgery/ laproscopic removal – first of its kind surgeryMr.Mahmud 50 yr male from Somalia had a bullet injury about 9 months back. Since then he was having continuous pain in the abdomen which prevented him from doing his work. He visited lot of hospitals both in his country and in India. He was advised surgical removal of the bullet. In all the hospitals he was advised conventional open surgery – wherein the abdomen is cut open and bullet along with some part of the liver are removed. He was also told that it is a high risk surgery.  He then visited Apollo hospital and after evaluating him thoroughly Doctor’s team planned a laparoscopic surgery – wherein two small holes of 0.5 cm are placed in the abdomen and with the help of specialized instruments the exact location of the bullet was identified and the bullet was removed preserving the liver and the surrounding important structures. This surgery was done with very minimal blood loss and the patient was discharged within 24hrs. post operatively patient was totally painfree and was back to his routine work.Laparoscopic removal of such a bullet injury is probably a first in the country and we at Apollo are proud to have done.With the increased expertise of laproscopic surgeons we are able to perform many such complicated and challenging surgeries safely and effectively in many such patients. The conventional or open surgery would have left a large scar about 15 – 20 cms in length and post operative recovery would have taken about a week to ten days, but with laproscopic surgery the patient does not have any scar and was discharged in less than a day.    

Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) brings together leading medical experts from India and across the globeHyderabad, January 6th 2017The 7th Annual conference of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) will be held on 7th and 8th January at Park Hyatt, Hyderabad. The theme of this two day conference is “Diabetes – The Giant killer” and “Innovations in Medicine!” Over 74 renowned national and international experts from India, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and UAE have confirmed participation in this conference.It is estimated that there are 1.2 million physicians of Indian origin working in India and other parts of the world. Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder President and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals said, “GAPIO now has representation from 33 countries. GAPIO’s vision is to “Improve Health Worldwide”. GAPIO stands to empower physicians of Indian origin to achieve highest professional standards, to provide affordable good quality healthcare, to contribute to local and regional community development and thereby help to reduce health inequalities and alleviate suffering globally”.“The Annual Conference of GAPIO will attract 400 to 500 medical experts. Key opinion leader from across the world will deliberate on Cardio Vascular Diseases, Metabolic Disorders, Brain Trauma – Kidney, Oncology, Rheumatology, Gastro Intestinal Disorders, Paediatrics, Robotic Surgery, Mental Health, Global Health Care, Emerging Healthcare Challenges,” said Dr Sanku Surender Rao, President GAPIO and a practicing gastroenterologist from USA.“Out of 1.2 million Indian doctors working globally, 300,000 are overseas with 50,000 in the UK. We are trying to leverage their expertise to India,” said Dr Ramesh Mehta, President – Elect, GAPIO and President of British Association of Physicians or Indian Origin (BAPIO). “This conference will aim to strengthen engagement of physicians of Indian origin from across the globe who are experts in their fields with vast experience and have the potential to change the healthcare scenario in India,” he added.According to Dr. Anupam Sibal, Vice President Elect, GAPIO “This substantial workforce of physicians of Indian origin is a valuable resource, which can help to mobilize significant developments in the healthcare field in India and globally. The strong diaspora of Indian doctors working in USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Middle East, South East Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, who are highly respected and powerful, need a common professional platform and GAPIO aims to provide this very platform”.Dr. Sudhir Parikh – Treasurer said, “GAPIO has assisted in creation of a web portal known as Swaasth India (www.swaasthindia.gov.in) in collaboration with MOH Government of India, BAPIO and AAPI. This was launched by Hon’ble Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Government of India on 28th June 2014 at San Antonio, Texas, USA. Government of India has accorded the SwaasthIndia web portal as a Government of India official website. This portal is now acting as matchmaking site where Government of India and State Governments are posting their requirements and Indian Medical Diaspora is viewing and applying for the same”.“This is an annual event which brings together physicians of Indian origin from across the globe to interact and share learnings with each other. It provides a road map for the activities of GAPIO towards improving the health of the community,” said Dr. Nandakumar Jairam, Secretary General – Elect, GAPIO.GAPIO was formed in January 2011 to bring doctors of Indian origin together from all over the world under one umbrella organization.Over the years, several programs have been organized to help the community. A free Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Camp was held at Bilaspur where 105 surgeries were performed.First in the series of GAPIO charitable clinics, a multispecialty GAPIO Charitable clinic was inaugurated in Secunderabad.A team of doctors from GAPIO lead by Dr. V K Raju ophthalmologist from USA held an eye screening camp at Aragonda.GAPIO in collaboration with Global Health and Education (GHE), USA has organised, 6 Free Health Screening Camps at Sawaimadhopur, Rajasthan in October 2016. These camps were second in the series of camps held in these areas in the year 2015 with the aim to follow-up those detected to be high risk patients for blood pressure and diabetes.GAPIO conferences have in the past been held at New Delhi, Hyderabad, Cochin, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Bangalore in India; at California and New Jersey in the USA; at Birmingham and Leicester in the UK, at Sydney in Australia and Moscow, Russian Federation.Some of the renowned international faculty include – Dr. Om Ganda, Joslin Centre, USA; Dr. Brahma N Sharma, Dr. Surendra K Varma and Dr. V K Raju from USA. Dr. Parul Shah, Dr. Gautam Bodiwala, Dr. Neeraj Bhala, Dr. Amitava Banerjee and Dr. J S Bamrah from UK, Dr. Arun Garg from Canada.   

Hyderabad, 17th May 2021: Apollo Hospitals (Apollo), Asia’s foremost integrated healthcare services provider, and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (Dr. Reddy’s), a leading Indian multinational pharmaceutical company today announced the launch of a limited pilot program for the Sputnik V vaccine as part of the soft launch by Dr. Reddy’s in India. The first phase of the program will kick off with vaccinations in Hyderabad on Monday (May 17, 2021) and in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday (May 18, 2021) at separate facilities at the Apollo Hospitals in those cities. The vaccinations would follow the SOPs as recommended by the Government including registration on CoWIN. Dr. K. Hari Prasad, President – Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited said, “With the opening up of the vaccination program for the private sector, we have intensified our efforts to accelerate the rate of vaccination through opening vaccination centers across our hospital network and are also in discussions with corporates to undertake vaccination on their premises. We are currently administering the COVID vaccine at 60 locations across the country including Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, and Apollo Clinics. This pilot phase will allow Dr. Reddy’s and Apollo to test the arrangements and cold chain logistics and prepare for the launch. We are confident that with the Sputnik V vaccine, we will be able to make a significant contribution to ease availability and access to COVID vaccines to the community at large.” “We already have two vaccines accessible here, by making more vaccines accessible, we can expedite the vaccination of our population and come out of this pandemic speedily. We are doing a soft launch of the Sputnik V vaccine today, Dr Reddy’s Labs is importing this vaccine, this vaccine dose will be given in two doses. We are doing a trial run from today to fix any logistics issues and to prove that they are safe, by vaccinating around 50000 staff and families of DRL, across the country. This vaccine has a distinctly different vaccine for first and second dose, unlike the other vaccines which use the same vaccine for both the doses. The second dose has to be administered after twenty-one days. The cost of vaccination will be between Rs 1200 and Rs 1250 including vaccination and vaccine administering.”M.V. Ramana, CEO – Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Apollo Hospitals as part of our soft pilot launch of the Sputnik V vaccine in India. We are working to scale up the pilot and take the vaccine to other cities, and in the upcoming months we hope to inoculate as many Indians as possible.” “The idea of the soft launch is to check if the systems are in place, across the length and breadth of the country. Initially we will import and will locally manufacture it in due course.”The Sputnik V vaccines for the pilot program would be supplied by Dr. Reddy’s from the first batch of 1,50,000 vaccine doses imported by them for the soft launch. After Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, the pilot program will be extended to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Pune.Dr Sauri, Head IPDO, R&D, DRL; said, over 2 crore people have been vaccinated in 63 countries by the Sputnik V vaccine. It’s been approved after doing Clinical trials on 33000 people in Russia and 1600 people in India and that enabled us to get emergency approval in India..About Apollo Hospitals:It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap C Reddy made a pioneering endeavor by launching India’s first corporate hospital – Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Now, as Asia’s foremost trusted integrated healthcare group, its presence includes over 12,000 beds across 72 Hospitals, 3800 pharmacies, over 120 Primary Care clinics, and 650 Diagnostic centers, 700 plus Teleclinics, over 15 medical education centers, and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials. The most recent investment being the commissioning of Southeast Asia’s very first Proton Therapy Centre in Chennai.Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual. In a rare honor, the Government of India had issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo’s contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For 38 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Its hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals in the country for advanced medical services. For further details, log onto: www.apollohospitals.comAbout Dr. Reddy’sDr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DR REDDY, NYSE: RDY) is an integrated pharmaceutical company, committed to providing affordable and innovative medicines for healthier lives. Through its three businesses – Pharmaceutical Services & Active Ingredients, Global Generics, and Proprietary Products – Dr. Reddy’s offers a portfolio of products and services including APIs, custom pharmaceutical services, generics, biosimilars, and differentiated formulations. Our major therapeutic areas of focus are gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, diabetology, oncology, pain management, and dermatology. Dr. Reddy’s operates in markets across the globe. Our major markets include – USA, India, Russia & CIS countries, and Europe. For more information, log on to: www.drreddys.com.      

Apollo Hospitals performs a rare liver transplant on a six & half months tiny baby weighing 5.5 kgs!One of the youngest and underweight infants to undergo liver transplant .Only few centers in the world carry out liver transplant on children lesser than 10 kgs in weightHyderabad, November 4th, 2016: The Liver Transplant team at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, led by Dr Manish C. Varma, Chief Transplant Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, performed a critical liver transplant surgery on a six and half month old baby boy, Master Nitesh, suffering from Biliary atresia. The transplant was carried out by taking a slice of father’s liver on 13th October, 2016. The infant is doing well and has since been discharged.  Biliary atresia is a congenital liver condition where the bile cannot drain from the liver through the bile ducts to the intestines. Bile helps to digest fats in the body and also carries waste products from the liver to the intestines for excretion. It occurs in 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 15,000 children. This impairment of the bile flow usually happens due to the bile ducts in the liver being absent or blocked or abnormally narrow. This results in the bile being trapped in the liver eventually leading to liver failure. Initially these children present with jaundice at about 2 weeks after birth. If they are not treated they become malnourished and are easy prey for infections and complications of cirrhosis and a majority of them do not survive beyond 2 years.Ideally, biliary atresia kids should undergo Porto-enterostomy or Kasai’s procedure within 3-4 months of their birth, this procedure enables bypassing the blocked ducts to drain the bile from liver. Kasai’s procedure can delay the onset of cirrhosis for up to 5 years in 50% of children and enables the children to grow to an age and size wherein liver transplantation can be safely carried out subsequently as the definitive curative treatment.This patient Nitesh had developed jaundice a few weeks after his birth. His parents consulted local doctors in Bhimavaram, from where they hail. After prolonged treatment when jaundice did not subside, they brought him to another Hospital in Hyderabad. There they were advised liver transplant as the only cure for his medical condition. It was at this stage, their family and friends strongly advised them to seek the help of the transplant team at Apollo Hospitals. On presentation at Apollo Hospitals, Nitesh was found to be suffering from very high jaundice and had already developed liver cirrhosis, he was very small weighing just about 5.5 kgs.According to Dr Manish Varma, Nitesh by then had missed the window of opportunity for a Kasai’s procedure and we were left with no option but to transplant his liver. These are the patients who pose the biggest challenge for liver transplantation and not many centres in our country are equipped to carry out liver transplant on children smaller than 10 kgs in weight, he points out.The baby needed a small part of healthy liver for transplantation. The livers of his mother and grandmother were not suitably matched. The transplant was finally carried out on 13th October, 2016, using a small part of his father’s liver. The donor (father) was discharged on 6th day after surgery and the baby was discharged after 2 weeks of transplant. Nitesh will need immunosuppressants all his life, but his overall growth will be normal. There will not be any long term limitations to his growth, learning and life expectancy, says Dr Manish Varma.The liver transplantation was done by a team of Specialists led by Dr. Manish Varma and included Dr Anand Khakhar, Dr Anand Ramamurthy, Dr L Sasidhar Reddy, Dr Kirubakaran, Dr Manjunath Balasubramaniam, Dr Dinesh Babu and Dr. Ramesh Srinivasan, Pediatric Gastroenterologist. The post operative care of the baby was done by a team of specialists and critical care doctors including Dr Manjunath B., Anaesthetist & Intensivist; Dr Vishṇu Vardhan Reddy, Pediatric Intensivist; Dr Meena Trehan, Pediatric critical care specialist; Dr Sunita Narreddy & Dr. Ravi Barigala, Infectiuos Diseases specialists and Dr Ravi Shanker, Endocrinologist.Liver Transplantation in general and Paediatric Liver Transplantation in specific requires multi-disciplinary approach, advanced infrastructure and well qualified staff who are specialised in dealing with critical paediatric patients. Apart from a meticulous surgery, the biggest challenge is the intensive care in the post-operative period. The nutritionists and physiotherapists have a very crucial role to play for a successful outcome. The margin of error in paediatric liver transplant patients is extremely narrow and the medical management has to be coordinated like clockwork.The Liver Transplant programme at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, has a success rate of over 95%, which is not only the best in India, but also one of the best in the world. The transplant program routine carries out multi-organ transplantation like Combined Liver-Kidney and Simultaneous Kidney-Pancreas Transplantation. World over, Paediatric Liver Transplantation is carried out in a chosen few centres and not all liver transplant centres offer these services. Children with a various disorders like biliary atresia, metabolic disorders, and liver tumours, among other causes may need liver transplantation. With superlative success rates, which speaks of a proficient team and excellent infrastructure, the Liver Transplant Program at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, is all equipped to undertake complex endeavours.About Apollo HospitalsIt was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap Reddy made a pioneering endeavor by launching India’s first corporate hospital – Apollo Hospital in Chennai. Now, as Asia largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes more than 10000 beds across 65 Hospitals, 2000 Pharmacies, 92 Primary Care and Diagnostic Clinics, 100 Telemedicine units across 10 countries. Health Insurance services, Global Projects Consultancy, 15 colleges of Nursing and Hospital Management and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research and the first Proton Therapy Center across Asia, Africa and Australia.In a rare honor, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo’s contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 30 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.     

Apollo Hospitals Group is launching the Billion Hearts Beating (BHB), the cardiac awareness campaign with Times of India from 28th of April, 2010. This campaign has been developed in partnership with Times of India, to create awareness and a mass movement in the country towards people taking control of their heart and health. This campaign comes from Apollo, as a responsible global healthcare group and intends to educate the people about heart problems and the main 7 risk factors which people need to know, as Chairman always emphasizes. More importantly it also urges for an action, i.e. to take charge and maintain a healthy lifestyle and highlights the need for a heart check.Apart from the activities at the National level (Print ads in ToI, Website, Radio Spots on Radio Mirchi, Tickers on Times Now, Street Theatre and TV Films), all Hospitals will promote the campaign at their respective locations by putting up Graffiti Walls, distributing fliers, putting up Banners, Posters, etc.Hoardings form an important part of the whole campaign; we will rent hoardings at various sites across the city for the next two months during the BHB campaign.This is the most important campaign being launched by Apollo Hospitals, in importance, impact and costs and deserves active and serious participation throughout to make it resoundingly successful.Visit: www.billionheartsbeating.com/

Hyderabad, 15th February 2021: The Heart transplant performed on a critical cardiac patient at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, with the cadaver heart transported through Metro rail, was successful with the heart recipient recovering fully. For the first time in the history of organ transplantation, anywhere in the world, metro rail was used to transport the organ. A green corridor was specially created by Hyderabad Metro Rail and Hyderabad Police, for the cadaver heart to reach Apollo Hospitals at Jubilee Hills, expeditiously. This was announced by Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group; Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale, Sr. Consultant, Heart and Lung Transplant Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals; Dr. Anil Kumar, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Hyderabad City; Mr. NVS Reddy, Managing Director, HMRL & Mr. KVB Reddy, Managing Director, L&T Metro Rail; at a press conference at Apollo Hospitals, today. The heart recipient Mr. Singareddy Kanakareddy was also present at the press conference. The 44-year-old recipient was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, he desperately needed a heart transplant to survive and was kept alive for over 45 days with continuous infusion of medicine, till he got transplanted with a new heart.The speedy transportation of the heart by metro rail during peak traffic hour played a critical role, it enabled to bring the cadaver heart intact and aided in the overall success of the surgery, says Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale.Earlier on February 2nd, 2021; the team of specialists led by Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale harvested the heart of a brain dead 45-year-old male farmer at Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar. The organ was immediately transported through a road and rail green corridor created specifically for it. The transit which took just about 40 minutes involved the transportation of the organ by road from Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar to Nagole Metro Station, by a special Metro train from Nagole to Jubilee Hills Metro station and later taken by road to Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills. Transporting the organ by road alone would have taken over two hours, especially during the peak traffic hour and could have led to complications in transplanting the organ. The surgery performed to transplant the heart took over eight hours and the patient gradually recovered over the last fortnight. He is hail and healthy and can lead a normal life with certain precautions.

Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad situated at Bhat GIDC, has become one of the largest privately held critical care centres in Gujarat with the recent addition of an 11 bedded state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to its current facilities, taking their total critical care bed capacity to 87. With this Apollo brings in a new dawn in Critical Care Medicine with a bed mix of 31% ICU beds as opposed to the general norm of 10-15%. This is an initiative towards positioning the Indian critical care services at par with the level International standards aspire to achieve.This expansion is another step towards the vision of Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group to bring international healthcare within the reach of every individual within India. It is also in line with the vision of Shri. I A Modi, Founder Chairman, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd for innovation and world-class quality in health care.Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad is a joint venture between Apollo Hospitals Group and Cadila Pharmaceuticals Group and boasts of a bed capacity of more than 276 beds. Over the last decade, it has established Critical Care Medicine as a centre of excellence and has emerged as a trusted destination for critically ill patients. Successful patient outcomes have led to an increased flow of patients not only from Gujarat but also neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.Dr. Jay Kothari, Director, Department of Critical Care Medicine said “All Intensive Care Units are not the same. They have different levels of facilities in terms of infrastructure, systems & protocols, trained manpower, consistent and sustained efforts towards infection control, in-house support services such as laboratory, radiology and Blood bank which impact patient outcomes. It is important to be alert that emergencies can happen anytime, and when it comes to critical illness ‘time is life’ and Apollo is best suited to handle any such emergencies.”A well organized Critical Care team consisting of five senior consultants, two junior consultants and eighteen registrars provides 24×7 care for patients. The team approach allows establishment of protocols, collective review and uninterrupted care. The consultant team is supported by qualified and trained critical care nursing staff and specialists from over 40 other clinical specialities. In-house facilities like laboratory, radiology services like MRI, CT Scan and X-Ray that work round-the-clock along with continuous Blood Bank support prevents delays and gaps in initiating and continuing evidence based treatment and provide patient convenience. Relatives of the patients are counseled and involved in every step of the care provision process through regular family meetings. Various organ-transplant services provided at Apollo hospitals have better clinical outcomes with the support of the Critical Care Department.Talking about the newly commissioned ICU, Dr. Jay Kothari, further added, “The increased demand of our critical care due to growing faith in our team and care has lead to the birth of the new facility which is state-of-the-art in terms of infrastructure and design. As it was planned to be a critical care unit, personal attention has been paid to details such as lighting, ventilation and maintenance of a sterile environment for infection control which directly influence patient outcomes. In addition to the nine ICU beds, two closed premium beds have also been commissioned with separate space for relatives of patients. A separate counselling room has been allocated to counsel relatives of patients regarding patient condition, disease management and their role in the care provision process.” Maj Gen (Retd.) Dr. Rajesh Kamran, Chief Operating Officer at Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad said “We offer a unique concept of ‘Hospitalist’, where critical care specialists are involved not only in the management of critical patients, but also in prevention of critical illness in other specialities. Patients who are observed to be at risk of developing any critical illness are proactively managed by a critical care specialist, thus preventing admissions into ICU. This impacts outcomes positively not only clinically but also financially for the patients.

Cancer Awareness Program Organised At Apollo Proton Cancer CentreChennai 4th February 2021: Marking World Cancer Day, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre organised “The Hand Print Campaign” to raise awareness and education about cancer, a global burden. Cancer survivors, doctors, nurses and caretakers imprinted their palms on a wall expressing their support and gratitude towards each other for overcoming both cancer and Covid19 together.In India, over 1.5 million new cancer patients are registered every year, and approximately 780,000 die from cancer, which makes cancer the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. This awareness program aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer. Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group and Ms. Preetha Reddy joined in the awareness program and imprinted their messages on the support wall in the fight against cancer. Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The cancer care delivery system in India was one of the most affected healthcare segment, 95% of cancer centres are situated in urban areas, while 70% of the population lives in the rural areas. During the pandemic, travel restrictions made it difficult for cancer patients to move to cities or different states to get proper treatment. Telemedicine and tele-health-based interventions emerged as reasonably practical solutions to these impediments in the delivery of care to cancer patients. Our specialists ensured to expend the best care to patients even during the pandemic through teleconsultations. Emergency treatments were also offered to highly critical patients at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre and Apollo Cancer Centre, Theynampet. APCC has treated more than 100 patients during the pandemic (since March 2020).”Ms. Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We at Apollo Hospitals stood as a team, took necessary precautions and measures to keep our service to the patients seamless. We made sure the patient gets the best medical care despite various parameters and restrictions during COVID. We thank our international oncology experts along with the cancer management team who extended their support and offered services to patients during the pandemic.”Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in India, equipped with South East Asia’s very first proton therapy treatment system, promises excellent treatment to our patients. Proton beam therapy is the most sophisticated form of radiation therapy currently available in the world.About Apollo Proton Cancer Centre.Apollo is one of Asia’s largest healthcare provider has always set the benchmark for patient’s needs and safety. The mission is “to bring healthcare of International Standards within the reach of every individual. We are committed to the achievement and maintenance of excellence in education, research and healthcare for the benefit of humanity.” Apollo Proton Cancer Centre was established in 2019 by Dr Prathap C Reddy, Founder & Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group. It is the first advanced cancer centre in India to introduce Proton Therapy,which is considered as the most advanced and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose distribution and minimal side effects. The advanced Proton Therapy at APCC is complemented by a fully integrated treatment suite that offers the most advanced treatment procedures in surgical, radiation, and medical oncology. With the holistic infrastructure and aesthetic environment inbound with positive energy and highly-skilled cancer management teams, APCC focuses on delivering the best possible clinical outcomes for the patients and is a beacon of excellence in Oncology.

Hyderabad, November 2020: Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad, performed the first ‘Fast track Total Knee Replacement’, in south India. Fast track Total Knee Replacement is a daycare knee replacement surgery, devoid of hospital stay, minimal aftereffects of anaesthesia, pain, trauma, infection, above all speedy recovery and being back to normal routine in a couple of days. The revolutionary surgery was performed on a known diabetic 65-year-old female patient, by a team led by Dr K J Reddy, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, on November 2nd, 2020. The patient was discharged the same evening after eight hours of post-surgery observation, she has fully recovered since and is going about with her routine with ease and great comfort.Total knee replacement (TKR) is a commonly performed but advanced orthopaedic procedure for severe, disabling knee pain due to Knee Arthritis. The excruciating knee pain often limits patient mobility and daily routine, warranting Total Knee Replacement. The surgery involves the replacement of surfaces of the damaged knee joint with a high-quality metal implant, which restores the patient ability to walk pain-free as before. Being a major procedure, it needs 3 to 4 days of hospital stay traditionally.The latest advances in perioperative management revolutionise Total Knee Replacement, reduces hospital stay to less than a day, enables the patient to be on his legs quickly and embrace an independent, superior quality life, says Dr K J Reddy.The patient who underwent first Fast track Total Knee Replacement, Mrs Rita Verma, was unable to walk properly and perform her routine, due to severe pain in left knee because of degenerative osteoarthritis. The minimal trauma and being able to return home the same day appealed to her and family and they opted for the Fastrack procedure. Being a known Diabetic, she underwent thorough pre-anaesthetic evaluation and after being deemed to be fit for surgery, was admitted early in the morning of November 2nd. Post an uncomplicated and successful surgery, she was kept under observation for eight hours and was discharged by 2 pm the same day. Later at home, she was constantly monitored for the next two days by a nurse with the aid of all vital monitoring equipment and monitors, installed by Apollo Home Care Team at her home. A Physician and Physiotherapist visited her on both the days while the E-ICU facility at Apollo Hospitals ensured round the clock observation by Senior Doctors and critical care team from the hospital. The round-the-clock and high-quality care coupled with physiotherapy enabled her to walk pain-free the very next day.The Fast Track surgery with enormous patient benefits is set to revolutionise knee replacements in India, in no time the traditional knee surgery may become redundant. Treating surgeons and support teams being adept with latest techniques, aided by state-of-the-art E-ICU facilities, can bring about a rapid transition, says Dr K J Reddy.The Fast track Total Knee Replacement is a sophisticated procedure currently performed only at few centers having the requisite infrastructure and proficient specialist teams. It involves using advanced surgical techniques performed with miniature instruments while administering regional anesthesia limited to the leg region. Miniature instruments ensure minimal incision, that coupled with regional anesthesia significantly diminishes pain, trauma, complications, infections and side effects generally associated with surgery, besides aiding in the patient recouping fast. The post-surgery recovery period spent at home with suitable and manageable precautions substantially reduces the scope of infection. The homely ambience, home-cooked food and staying amidst dear ones, accelerates recovery by manifold. However, the treating surgeon needs to be extra cautious while selecting the patient for this procedure, as patients over 80 years of age and those with co-morbidities need to be thoroughly assessed and only those found to be suitable should be considered for the new procedure.About Apollo Hospitals:Apollo Hospitals was established in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C Reddy, renowned as the architect of modern healthcare in India. As the nation’s first corporate hospital, Apollo Hospitals is acclaimed for pioneering the private healthcare revolution in the country. Apollo Hospitals has emerged as Asia’s foremost integrated healthcare services provider and has a robust presence across the healthcare ecosystem, including Hospitals, Pharmacies, Primary Care & Diagnostic Clinics and several retail health models. Since its inception, Apollo Hospitals has been honoured by the trust of over 150 million individuals who came from 140 countries. At the core of Apollo’s patient-centric culture is TLC (Tender Loving Care), the magic that inspires hope amongst its patients.

Hyderabad, December 2020: The team of Cardiologists at Apollo Hospitals, led by Dr. A. Sreenivas Kumar, Director, Cardiology & Clinical Research; performed a critical cardiac procedure – ‘Trans Aortic Valve Replacement’ (TAVR) on an 83-year-old COVID survivor male patient from West Godavari District, suffering from Hypertension, Mild Coronary Artery Disease, COPD, severe Degenerative Aortic Valve Disease, severe Aortic Stenosis and Mild Aortic Regurgitation. Despite recovering from Covid he developed lung fibrosis, leading to worsening of breathlessness, palpitations and extreme fatigue. He was rushed to the hospital considering his deteriorating condition due to pre-existing severe Aortic valve disease coupled with the post-Covid difficulties. The patient was evaluated with HR CT Chest for Covid manifestations, stabilised and once Covid PCR became negative he was evaluated by CT Angio with TAVR Protocol. A detailed clinical and Echocardiogram evaluation that followed strongly indicated TAVR as the treatment option. His Coronary Angiogram revealed mild CAD which can be managed medically. After explaining the pros and cons regarding TAVR, the patient was admitted on 25th November and the TAVR procedure was done successfully. The post-procedure hemodynamic revealed no gradient across the Aortic valve and echo did show good valve position with no AR. His Femoral puncture site was closed with Perclose – Proglide systems, the patient was ambulatory by night and was discharged the next day morning. This is the first patient in the twin Telugu states to undergo this procedure post-COVID recovery, even in the Country, no data was available on this being performed earlier.This performing of a TAVR procedure on an octogenarian Covid recovered patient is a milestone. It sends a strong message to patients with pre-existing cardiac disease and recovered from Covid, that there is no need to postpone seeking medical care for critical ailments. The expertise and facilities available at Apollo Hospitals, can help patients recover from serious ailments and lead a normal and active life, says Dr. A. Sreenivas Kumar.COVID survivors are developing myriad health problems, it could be simple ailments like fatigue, body aches, joint pains, lack of concentration to more severe and long-term health complications with one or other body organs being compromised. The problems could be lung fibrosis, severe lung scarring with lung losing its elasticity and ability to pump oxygen needing lung transplantation, Ischemic Heart Disease, strokes due to clot in the brain, kidney complications and more, as studies unravel newer insights about the disease. Most such patients were devoid of any of these health issues prior to COVID and some of them have already developed irreversible conditions, impacting them for a lifetime. This phenomenon is across the age and gender groups and this patient too became a victim of post-Covid health complications.About Apollo Hospitals:Apollo Hospitals was established in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C Reddy, renowned as the architect of modern healthcare in India. As the nation’s first corporate hospital, Apollo Hospitals is acclaimed for pioneering the private healthcare revolution in the country. Apollo Hospitals has emerged as Asia’s foremost integrated healthcare services provider and has a robust presence across the healthcare ecosystem, including Hospitals, Pharmacies, Primary Care & Diagnostic Clinics and several retail health models. Since its inception, Apollo Hospitals has been honoured by the trust of over 150 million individuals who came from 140 countries. At the core of Apollo’s patient-centric culture is TLC (Tender Loving Care), the magic that inspires hope amongst its patients.