It was a special day when two of India’s largest entities joined hands in the service of the People of Bangladesh – Apollo Hospitals Group and Jet Airways announced their joint service ‘FLY FOR GOOD HEALTH PROGRAM’. This was facilitated by Health Connect International-Bangladesh, a medical consultancy firm. The launch was announced at a joint press meet of Apollo Hospitals and Jet Airways at Dhaka Press Club. The announcement was made by Mr. Rajkumar Bhattacharya, Country Manager – Jet Airways Bangladesh, Mr Jithu Jose, Senior General Manager Apollo Hospitals Group and Mr Shafeeq Azam, Managing Director –Health Connect International, Bangladesh. The program will provide all the guests of Apollo a 10% discount on their flights to Chennai (via Kolkata & Mumbai) and direct flights to Mumbai & Kolkata. The boarding pass will further entail a 10% discount on Apollo’s room rent and health check programs. Speaking at the occasion, Mr Jithu Jose stated that “We are delighted to have this service for our guests from Bangladesh and together with this we are also commencing the Apollo Connect initiative. The Jet offer is a very unique offer and possibly the first of its kind where two major Indian entities have joined hands to provide such a service to our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh, which has become a home away from home. We would also like to announce the Apollo Connect Initiative by our partner Health Connect International and this would be unique service to provide free second medical opinion and I would like to invite all the clinics and doctors to join us in this initiative. Rajkumar Bhattacharya, Country Manager, Jet Airways said, “At Jet Airways, we have always shared a special bond with our guests which goes beyond travel. This unique travel option in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals Group is one more initiative aimed at making air travel more cost-effective for those seeking medical support at a premier institution. This tie up with Apollo seeks to deliver exceptional value while attempting to foster stronger relationships with our guests.” Mr Shafeeq Azam, Managing Director of Health Connect International stated that the service will be offered through their office and in association with Jet airways office at Dhaka Airport. This would help people to have a hassle-free service and absolute handholding right from Dhaka. Mr Md. Abdur Rob, Director of Health Connect International, stated that such initiatives are the need of the hour and especially in healthcare. The established hospitals like Apollo and airline like Jet Airways can help health many lives.

In Crigler Najjar Syndrome, an essential enzyme GT is absent in the liver at birth. This deficiency results in toxic form of bilirubin to rise in the blood to a very high level, which can cross into the brain and produce irreversible complications. To prevent brain damage and hearing loss from this condition, phototherapy (treatment by the use of special light) is needed for 14 – 16 hours a day. As children grow older, their skin gets thickened and the light penetration decreases making phototherapy less effective. For most of 24 hours, children need to remain under the phototherapy unit, bearing the intense light and the heat for survival. The persistent yellow colour of their eyes and skin begins to bother children over time. Their quality of life suffers as normal activities are severely curtailed. Liver transplant is the only permanent cure for this condition and takes away the need to spend 14 – 16 hours every day under phototherapy. Two children, 13 year old Master Khalid Mohammad from UAE and 4 year old Master Abdul Ahad from Pakistan with Criggler Najjar Syndrome recently underwent a liver transplant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi. Khalid received a part of his father’s liver and Ahad received 30% of his mother’s liver. Master Ayanveer Singh from Kapurthala suffering from Criggler Najjar Syndrome underwent a liver transplant in March 2016 with this mother donating a third of her liver. According to Dr Anupam Sibal, Group medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group and Senior Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said, “With the new liver both children have received the enzyme they were not born with and their eyes are pearly white. They have finally bid adieu to their constant companion – the phototherapy unit. We have now performed more than 2800 liver transplants in patients from India and 40 countries. We are privileged to have earned the trust of so many patients over the last 18 years, ever since we performed the first successful liver transplant in India in 1998.”  

Mr Akrur N Rana, 85-year-old, from Nepal, a National Badminton Champion had weakness on right side of the body and was rushed to the emergency department at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. He was diagnosed to have stroke for which he was treated by the neurologist after which he recovered instantaneously. However, on evaluation ECG showed rhythm abnormalities for which he was referred to cardiologist. He was further evaluated in details via continuous monitoring of ECG, which showed that his heart rate would suddenly become very slow as low as 25 beats per min and at other times it would become irregular. A diagnosis of sick sinus syndrome (Disease where the heart rate suddenly drops down causing loss of consciousness) with AV nodal disease was made and the Patient needed a pacemaker. After discussing with family, the smallest and most advanced leadless pacemaker was successfully implanted. It offers the advantage of quickness, safety, no cuts, no wires and lasts for more than 12 years. Patient comfort is ensured. The World’s Smallest Leadless Pacemaker Unlike most pacemakers that are placed in the patient’s chest with leads running to the heart, the mini is implanted directly into the patient’s heart. Pacemaker can send electrical pulses when the heart is beating too slowly and can adjust your heart rate based on your physical activity level. The leadless pacemaker is implanted inside the heart and does not require any pacing leads. A traditional pacemaker would require a lead to be inserted into your heart from the pacemaker in your chest. Less invasive – it is placed in the heart via a vein in the leg, thus no chest incision, scar, or bump that results from conventional pacemakers Self-contained – it is completely self-contained within the heart. It eliminates potential medical complications arising from a chest incision and from wires running from a conventional pacemaker into the heart Smaller than conventional pacemakers, about the size of a large vitamin capsule (2 gms in weight) Benefits: Eliminates scar on the chest Eliminates bulge on the chest Able to resume regular activities after implant (no activity restrictions to prevent dislodging of traditional pacemaker leads) No upper chest implant complications (a punctured lung which may require a tube to be inserted into the chest to re-inflate the lung, a blood clot in the subclavian vein) No pacing lead complications (lead moving from original place in the heart, lead breaking, lead infections, and lead not being connected to the device the right way) Mr Akrur N Rana, said, “I’m thankful to the doctors who have saved my life using the most advanced technology to treat me. I feel proud to be the 1st person in this region to receive this treatment.”

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes. The Health Tech India Summit is an exhibition on Medical Equipment, Technology, Pharma and Healthcare Services. The main objective behind this Exhibition & Conference is to provide a platform to showcase the latest technology in the Healthcare and Medical Devices industry. It also brings together the key decision makers, manufacturers, suppliers under one roof. Heath Tech India, 2017 aims to educate, inspire and deliver results for the community involved in the design, development, and manufacturing of medical devices and technologies. The 3-day conference was inaugurated by Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi provided Emergency Medical cover during the entire conference, with a fully equipped ambulance and Medical team along with a doctor. The event was supported by the Government of India and the Ministry of Health and several associations related to the healthcare sector.  

With growing number of heart related ailments in younger population, heart disease is emerging as the number one cause of death among Indians. There is a huge unmet need for managing heart failure in India and the prevalence of heart failure is estimated to be around 4 to 5 million. Heart disease is a growing epidemic in India. However, continuous advancements in treatment, surgical devices, drugs and effective cardiac transplantation methods have been changing the scenario in dealing with heart patients. Highlighting the care provided for heart patients, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Heart problems also affect other organs which makes it challenging for a single physician to provide comprehensive care. It is of utmost importance for doctors in other specialties to know about heart failure and administer essential treatments concerning multiple organs.” Heart Failure is fast becoming a staggering public health burden. India is the capital of diabetes & coronary disease across the world, both of which are causes of heart failure. “A failing heart affects all other organs too. No longer is heart failure manageable by a single doctor, making Multi-Disciplinary approach a necessity. Our interdisciplinary team of doctors include cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists, intensivists, pulmonologists, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, immunologists and infectious disease specialists. This has led to delivering a very high level of care to our patients, of whom a large number are very young.” says Dr. Sunder T, Senior Cardiothoracic & Heart-Lung Transplant Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals. The risk factors of heart diseases include other physical conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, kidney related ailments and so on. “A healthcare service doesn’t limit to just completing the heart transplant or surgery successfully, but it also involves post-surgery care and rehabilitation. This involves proper diet regime, psychological counselling and a constant check on organ functions. We have been achieving this through our Multi-Specialty services and will continue to improve this in a cost-effective manner. Such comprehensive care was not available 10 years ago, but with developments in healthcare, we are able to provide interdisciplinary services. Access to such healthcare is improving and will continue to improve in the coming years,” he added. There is an increasing number of heart transplants in Tamil Nadu since 2008. With improved technology, equipments and infrastructural developments, organ donation for transplants across states, has become more effective. On multi-organ transplants, Dr Sunder says, “Heart Failure by its inability to pump blood eventually affects all organs in the body – notably the lungs, kidneys and the liver. In advanced cases, performing a heart transplant alone will not suffice and combined transplants of heart , lung, kidney or liver may be needed.” Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has performed the largest number of multi-organ transplants – combined heart-lung, combined heart-liver and combined heart-lung-kidney transplants in India. “The multi-disciplinary team has looked into ways to contain costs without compromising on patient safety and we would be happy to deliver the same standards of care to patients with heart failure who come under government schemes so that the poor people will be benefited” he added.    

Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata, over the years, has associated with and promoted several major sporting events to help inspire the adoption of a fitness oriented lifestyle. Further strengthening this commitment, the Hospitals supported the 5K Run, as a significant part of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon, 2017. In a society that is increasingly becoming sedentary and ‘desk-bound’, doctors and other healthcare professionals are concerned and worried about the impact of such a lifestyle on the overall health and wellbeing of the populace at large. Ranging from such effects like unwanted and harmful weight gain, to an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, to a host of other complaints – a life devoid of physical activity is therefore a major challenge in the development of a healthy society. Running and jogging, and other exercises that promote good cardiovascular health, have therefore emerged as a viable mode for promoting and ensuring better health outcomes and an overall healthy lifestyle. Flagging off the event with Sporting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Dr Rupali Basu, President and CEO ER, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, observed, “Today’s modern and especially corporate lifestyle is built around the twin ideals of speed and momentum. All are constantly running a race towards our targets. However, this ‘race’ is mostly metaphorical, since a great part of it is run in the confines of our workstations – a scenario that results in an unhealthy lifestyle and poor health outcomes. As the healthcare leaders of the region, the Apollo Gleneagles 5K Run represents our efforts to help you bridge the gap between the metaphorical and the actual. As a corporate leader I urge all corporate professionals to run this 5 km keeping the rising incidence of NCDS which constitute 63% of overall disease and expected to go up to 78% in a decade. We hope that events such as this will help promote an overall healthy lifestyle, and have a significant contribution towards the creation of a healthy society. As the legendary George Sheehan has said “Out on the roads , there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be”.” Speaking on the occasion the cricketing Legend Sachin Tendulkar observed “It is encouraging to see so many corporate professionals run for their health and well–being and take responsibility for their health. If my participation has urged more people to come forward and run, I am happy to be here.”  

The Road Safety Week 2017 between 9th January and 23rd January 2017 was inaugurated by Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner, Shri Hemant Nagrale with a walkathon from Vashi to Navi Mumbai sea shore. Policemen, eminent personalities and students participated in the walkathon, making it a great success. Gracing the event Dr. Nitin Jagasia, Head Emergency Medical Services, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai demonstrated the state-of-the-art ambulance services and its facilities to Shri Hemant Nagrale. Awareness Workshops were also organised during the week. Auto rickshaw drivers and bus drivers were trained on road safety and emergency management by Dr. Nitin Jagasia. School and college students were also imparted training on road safety during the entire period. Children and adults were exposed to the first aid demonstration by paramedic staff and facilities available in the ambulance, at Happy Streets on Palm Beach road. An appeal was made to everyone, to ensure that medical emergencies are managed appropriately and 1066 is called in for help immediately. To showcase the significance of Organ Donation, an Organ Donation Awareness Walk was also organised. Professor Darius Mirza, Consultant, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Transplant Surgeon and Dr. Amit Langote, Consultant, Nephrologist from Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai explained the importance of Organ Donation and requested all to be an Organ Donor. During the closing ceremony, Dr. Narendra Trivedi, CEO Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai handed over a state-of-the-art Apollo Hospitals Ambulance to Shri Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of Police Navi Mumbai and Mr. Nitin Pawar, Deputy-Commissioner of Traffic Police. The dedicated ambulance will help the policemen to rush the accident victims to near-by hospitals during the Golden Hour and to get the emergency treatment on priority. The ceremony also witnessed the presence of Bollywood actor Mr. Boman Irani, who saw the advanced ambulance-1066 and appreciated Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai for the same. Mr. Nitin Pawar, Deputy-Commissioner of Traffic Police thanked Apollo Hospitals for supporting the Road Safety Week and making it a huge success. In its endeavour to create awareness and encourage prevention, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai is giving free health screening for Navi Mumbai Policemen. Similar free health screenings are also provided to auto rickshaw drivers and bus drivers of Navi Mumbai.  

The thyroid gland, located at the base of the neck, plays a key role in the maintenance of vital hormonal balance in the body. A lump on the thyroid, accompanied by a normal hormonal profile, when detected, is therefore a source of concern, and may have to be biopsied to rule out malignancy. In cases where surgery is advised, existing methods indicate an open surgery for a partial or complete excision of the gland – resulting in significant blood loss, trauma, and permanent and distinct scarring. The procedure, called ‘Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy’, has been successfully undertaken at the Hospital by Dr Shantanu Panja, ENT and Head & Neck Onco-Surgeon and his team, in what is the first instance of its kind in this part of the country. Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy, which involves an approach through the mouth by the use of laparoscopic endoscopes and other instruments, represents a significant improvement over the traditional methods, in all cases where it can be utilized. An opening is created between the lower lip and gum to pass the instruments, and the thyroid gland is reached by going beneath the skin with air insufflation. The gland is then dissected out and removed through the mouth without any external cut, precluding the blood loss, trauma and scarring associated with the open surgical methods. Dr Panja said, “Surgery for thyroid cancer needs to be meticulous and requires considerable experience and expertise. We need to ensure preservation of the key nerves responsible for voice production, and the parathyroid glands responsible for calcium metabolism in the body. With this new technique, we can achieve these vital results, enhance the overall outcome, and ensure the best cosmetic outcome for our patients.” Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rupali Basu, President and CEO ER, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, observed, “Women face a higher risk of developing thyroid cancers, whose incidence is registering an upward trend in recent times. What makes it an even greater challenge is the fact that the disease, whose aggressiveness increases with age, often goes undetected until it is too late. Even in cases where the diseased gland is excised in time, the patient is destined to carry the visible scar of the procedure for a long time, affecting their overall quality of life. As the healthcare leaders of the region, we are therefore happy to introduce this new technique which significantly improves the outcomes for all patients.”  

As an exclusive center for the elderly, the unique Geriatric Care initiative will be a comprehensive centre 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 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”, said Dr 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. 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 assessment Development of a personal care plan Super-specialists recommended surgical programs Aid in post-operative or post illness recovery (rehabilitation) Recommendations to improve health & functional ability A 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.  

Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, inaugurated its Advanced Emergency Care and 1066 emergency response program at the hands of Shri Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai and Dr Thomas Burke, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Harvard University, USA. The Emergency Response System is initiated with the number ‘1066’, which is answered by trained emergency personnel who would advise and dispatch GPRS enabled ambulance. The ambulance, among the most advanced in the Mumbai, has trained paramedics with all essential equipment and drugs catered to deliver care at the bedside or on the road. Shri Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai, said, “I’m happy to inaugurate the Advanced Emergency Care Centre. This will help the emergency and critical care patients of Navi Mumbai, avail treatment within the ‘Golden Hour’. Also, we are happy to be associated with Apollo Hospitals for our Road Safety Week 2017 initiative and have been imparting safety and first aid training with their support.” Dr Thomas Burke, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Harvard University, USA, speaking at the launch said, “Emergency medicine has evolved over the years with new benchmarks. It is important for healthcare centers to adapt the international clinical protocols, as it helps saving time and life in crucial moments.” Dr Nitin Jagasia, Head, Emergency Medical Services, said, “There is a 2 – way communication between the ambulance and the hospital to ensure specific areas such as cath lab, operating theatre, ICU’s are prepared to receive the patient. The GPRS enabled tracking provides the team at Apollo an accurate estimate of patient arrival. The Apollo emergency response protocol has ensured that the majority of emergency cases have been stabilized in a time critical manner at par with the international benchmark for golden hour management.” The Stroke Clinic is a multi-disciplinary clinic where stroke patients are assessed by doctors, specialist nurses, physio & speech therapists to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan for each patient. Dr Girish Nair, Consultant, Neurology, Apollo Hospitals, said, “A person suffers from a brain stroke every three seconds in India. Following the onset of blockage of blood supply to the brain, over 1.4 million nerve cells are irreversibly damaged every second.” Dr Narendra Trivedi, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, said “Apollo Hospitals has always been monitoring its service delivery against international benchmarks, which demonstrates quality of our care. This does not mean how fast we deliver the treatment, but actually how appropriate the care is and Apollo has always been driven by clinical outcomes.” Apollo Hospitals, Mumbai, has also initiated the ‘Lifesaver’s Club’, along with the Navi Mumbai RTO / Traffic Police Road Safety Week, wherein Apollo Hospitals will deliver basic life support training across various residential societies and corporate to develop community champions who would help save lives when it matters most.  

Tech giant Microsoft, along with Express Healthcare, organised a round table with select healthcare CEOs on the ‘Digital Transformation in Healthcare. The conference with healthcare CEOs brought out some concrete submissions on how technology will play a critical role in enabling healthcare. The prime focus of the select meeting was on how digitisation could help deliver superior services amid growing patient demand for better experience. The two-hour-long discussion was chaired by Jean-Philippe Courtois (JPC), Executive Vice President and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations, who gave a broad overview of Microsoft’s mission to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for people across the region, using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cortana. Initiating the discussion, moderator of the roundtable session, Dr Rana Mehta, Leader-Healthcare, PwC India commented that the digital revolution is actually expected to happen across the continuum of care and asked how the private sector viewed this trend as the digital revolution sets in. Briefing about private sector’s view on digital revolution in healthcare space, Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint MD, Apollo Hospitals, said, “In India, one needs to look at multiple factors like scaling, innovation, access, financing and efficiency. A combination of all these factors are driven by IT at different levels. They cannot replace hospitals but will definitely have an influence.” Further drawing an analogy between healthcare and the telecom space, Ms. Sangita Reddy informed that the infrastructure facilities put up and the investment made by the telecom sector are seeing benefits by big players like Google and Amazon. The value realisation out of the original infrastructure is getting realised. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies and hospital providers must seriously look at how they can connect the ‘Uberisation and WhatAppisation’ of healthcare, alluding to the increasing number of apps in the healthcare space. Ms. Sangita Reddy also said, “There is immense data available but the country needs data aggregation and integration. It needs the vision to integrate and put everything together. A tech giant like Microsoft can lead and tell us how it can be done. An integrated mission with a group of like-minded people and a consortium can bring in transformation.”    

The minute Cardiac plug comes as a boon for patients of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), who would otherwise have to depend on a regime of blood-thinning medications which come associated with a heightened probability of internal bleeding or major surgery. Dr Raja Nag, Cardiologist, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, and his team recently undertook a successful implantation of the device on a recipient from Bangladesh. Mr Sushil Kumar Dey, the 64 year old recipient from Bangladesh, had presented with complaints of atrial fibrillation about six months ago. A diabetic with complaints of hypertension and obesity, he was advised a course of anti-coagulants (blood-thinners) as a preventive measure against stroke, as a complaint of atrial fibrillation heightened a risk of clot formation, enhancing the probability of a stroke. However, after a couple of months, he had fresh blood in his stool, indicating internal bleeding. As a result, the anti-coagulant medications had to be stopped. This cessation of medications however, did not signal an end to his problems, and he suffered a stroke about a month ago. The only option available, therefore, was to undergo the implantation of a management device in the left atrial appendage, i.e., the area of the heart from where the clots arise. The team, under Dr Nag, decided to undertake the implantation of the cardiac plug, and the procedure was undertaken in the Hospital’s Digital Catheterization Laboratory on January 06, 2017. The operation, which took less than half an hour, involved the deployment of the device by a catheter inserted through the groin, a process similar to that of an angioplasty. The patient is healthy and is doing well post-deployment of the device. Dr Nag said, “We are happy at the outcomes, and are confident of the continued health and wellbeing of the recipient. This new device represents a key advancement in a cardiologist’s armamentarium, and holds out new hope for all patients of atrial fibrillation, including the old and the infirm, who, for a multitude of reasons, may not be amenable to traditional medications or surgical intervention.” Professor (Dr) Rabin Chakraborty, Regional Director and Head, Apollo Gleneagles Heart Institutes, Kolkata, noted, “Our team, led by experienced cardiologists with exposure to some of the best facilities in the world, is well equipped to handle all heart-related emergencies and complex coronary interventions round-the-clock. With three world-class cardiac catheterization labs, electrophysiology and ICD-implantation capabilities, heart-rhythm management facilities, device therapy setup, and state-of-the-art technologies like OCT and IVUS – our team delivers a care regimen that is comparable with the leading global institutions for cardiac care. A strict adherence to international guidelines and standards has helped us deliver better outcomes for our patients – a significant step that has received acknowledgement from the American College of Cardiology, which has recognized us as the first International Centre of Excellence in India.” Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rupali Basu, President and CEO ER, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, observed, “Cardiovascular ailments account for about one in every four deaths in India. In recent years, the scenario has deteriorated to a point where we are faced with a near epidemic of cardiac complaints – complaints that pose a significant challenge to the overall health and wellbeing of the nation. As the leaders of state-of-the-art healthcare in the region, we are happy at this innovative step undertaken by our team of cardiologists, and are confident of introducing more such advancements that help transform the cardiac care paradigm over the coming days. We will continue to enhance and expand our bouquet of services, and lead from the front in the introduction of life-saving innovations that have a major impact on the life and wellbeing of our patients.”