For the first time in Eastern India, doctors at Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals gave a new lease of life to an unborn baby by a blood transfusion inside womb. Mrs. Rima was diagnosed with a rare complication of foetal hydrops during her 24th week of pregnancy where fluids get accumulated in the foetus, making the baby anemic. Dr Mallinath Mukherjee, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals said, “In such cases, blood transfusion to the unborn is the only way to save the baby’s life. Even with treatment, survival rate of such babies is extremely low. In this case we have been able to successfully deliver the baby at 35 weeks of pregnancy after 6 blood transfusions. We are also grateful to the health department of the state for their support in this special delivery.” Read more about how doctors successfully performed first blood transfusion inside the womb

Apollo Hospitals Group has announced free vaccinations against COVID-19 for children with specified co-morbidities across the hospital network. It is anticipated that approval will soon be granted for vaccinating children with specified co-morbidities and immediately post-approval and details of the age-group permitted for vaccination, the free vaccination initiative would be launched by Apollo Hospitals. The list is expected to include children with haematological, neurological, cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, rheumatic, respiratory, genitourinary, and developmental disorders as well as cancers. However, this is an indicative list and the final list of co-morbidities eligible for free vaccination would be as per the list published by the Government. Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Adults have been the focus of vaccination till now as by and large, children have been spared from severe COVID 19 infection. However, this is not the case in children with co-morbidities. These children continue to be at high risk of developing a severe infection. In addition, children with comorbidities have also seen a significant psychosocial impact as the lockdown resulted in their missing out on the personalized attention and specialized treatment and care that they require. The Government’s approval of vaccinations for children with co-morbidities, when it comes through, will be a welcome step in the right direction. Realising the criticality of this vaccination, we will be extending the COVID vaccines completely free of cost to children with co-morbidities and giving them the necessary ‘Kavach’ (shield) against COVID!” Apollo Hospitals has been at the frontlines of battle against COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic and is today the largest private sector vaccinator in the country with over 5 million vaccine doses administered. The vaccination program for children and adolescents will help to protect the future of the nation from COVID-19. There are two vaccines awaiting EUA by the Government and these are: Covaxin: For ages 2-18 years. Two doses at a gap of 28 days. Administered intra-muscularly ZyCov-D: For ages 12-18 years. Three doses at a gap of 28 days. Needle free vaccine administered intra-dermally. Both vaccines would be available at Apollo Hospitals’ vaccination centers across the country, once all Government approvals are in place and the vaccines are made available. For further details, please contact Dr Rohini Sridhar, Senior Vice President – Medical Services, Apollo Hospitals at drrohini_s@apollohospitals.com

FLO, the women’s wing of FICCI, joined hands with Apollo Cancer Centre for India’s First Virtual Duathlon – Apollo D2D. Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group along with Ms Jeyasree Ravi, Chairperson FICCI Flo- Chennai Chapter and Founder, Sri Palam Silks and Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals and Immediate Past President FICCI participated in the duathlon event along with 50 other members from FLO. Apollo D2D Duathlon 2021 aims to create awareness, support and raise funds for the treatment of childhood cancers. Sharing her thoughts, Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said “ApolloD2D Duathlon was envisaged to strengthen India’s fight against cancer. Therefore, Apollo Cancer Centres and Neville Endeavours Foundation (NEF) joined hands to heighten awareness, and garner support for the treatment of underprivileged pediatric cancer patients. It is our responsibility that we persevere to ensure that every child has the opportunity to bloom to their fullest, as they represent our nation’s future. Today, I am very grateful to all the wonderful members of FICCI-FLO who have joined us to support this cause. I would also request everyone to participate, cross the finish line and give a child, new hope!” Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals and Immediate Past President FICCI, said, “I would like to extend my gratitude to all the wonderful women from FICCI-FLO who are here to support & participate in the Apollo D2D Duathlon. Special thanks to Ms Jeyasree Ravi. We encourage more participation in the coming days and hope that together we can build more awareness about Childhood cancer and raise funds for their treatments.” Sharing her thoughts, Ms. Jeyasree Ravi, Chairperson FICCI FLO – Chennai Chapter and Founder, Sri Palam Silks, said “It gives me great pleasure in supporting a dear friend of mine in this very noble endeavor. Childhood cancer is indeed an important issue that needs to be addressed so that our leaders of tomorrow are safe & healthy. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the members from FLO who have joined me here today for this honorable cause.” To participate in the Apollo D2D Duathlon 2021, participants have to register on the website https://www.apollod2d.com The participants can register and complete the race on their own within 15th October to 14th November 2021. The participants can run, walk, or cycle to cover the distance of 3KM – 125 KM at their own pace and location of their choice. People can choose to cycle or run or both. The participants can use simple watch or stopwatch to note their time or can go for GPS watches, smart-watches, or activity tracking apps on smartphones. Read More about Apollo D2D flagged off in Chennai

For the first time in Eastern India, doctors at Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, Kolkata gave a new lease of life to an unborn by interstitial laser therapy using a Diode laser. In Interstitial Diode Laser Therapy, a fine needle is inserted into the mother’s womb to release laser beams to terminate one twin pregnancy in order to save the healthier co-twin. The procedure is conducted with continuous support of ultra sound. Dr Jayanta Kr Gupta, Director & HOD Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, Kolkata said, “It’s indeed a tough decision for parents to let go of one of the twins before birth, but this is the only way to save the other baby or else both the babies can’t live. We here at Apollo Hospitals for the very first time in Eastern India did the procedure of Interstitial Laser Therapy so that we can at least save one of the twins. The treatment was applied in a case of Twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which is unique to identical twins, who by nature get their nutrition supplied by single placenta. Twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome ensures that mothers don’t lose both their babies due to this condition of intrauterine growth restriction. For this, early detection through regular check-ups including USG is critical during pregnancy.” Know more about how doctors gave a new lease of life to an unborn baby

TAVR or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a percutaneous procedure, was successfully carried out on a 73-years-old female patient at Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati. The patient presented with breathing difficulties, chest pain on exertion and easy fatigability, and was admitted at Apollo Hospitals Guwahati, where she was diagnosed with a critical condition of severe calcific stenosis of the aortic valve. The only alternative was a valve replacement that had to be carried out immediately. Open-heart valve replacement surgery was not an option due to age and co-existing health issues. The patient was offered the advanced option of TAVR or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), an advanced percutaneous technique that allows intervention on patients who are unsuitable or are at intermediate to high risk for open-heart surgery. The advanced procedure was successfully performed on 1st September 2021. The patient recovered well without any significant peri procedural event and discharged in the next few days in a healthy condition. Dr. Rituparna Baruah, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati said, “Patients with calcification of the leaflets of the heart valve, that open and close with the flow of blood, often present with symptoms only after the age of 70-75 years. However, if not treated, survival is difficult. TAVR is a revolutionary technique and a blessing for such patients so that they can have a prolonged healthy lifestyle with improved quality of life. Whereas in conventional open heart surgery, the chest cavity needs to be opened by cutting through the sternum to allow the surgeon to operate on the heart, TAVR is a percutaneous technique where it is accessed via needle-puncture of the skin, rather than a scalpel.” In TAVR, an artificial aortic valve is inserted through a catheter, a thin flexible tube, from the groin into a blood vessel, under local anaesthesia. The deployed valve reaches the base of the aorta at the site of the aortic valve. The doctor then opens a balloon that inflates the valve pushing aside the old valve and overcoming the stenosis or narrowing. Using Monitored Anaesthesia Care (MAC anaesthesia), the patient remains aware but relaxed throughout the procedure that takes about an hour as compared to 5-6 hours required for an open-heart surgery. There is no need of General Anesthesia and a midline sternal incision, which is required in open heart surgery is not done in TAVR, thereby reducing prolonged hospitalization, and instead of a week’s stay, a patient who has undergone TAVR goes back home walking on the third day. The other benefits of TAVR include reduced and negligible need for blood transfusions, and reduced stroke risk of less than 1% as against 5-7% in conventional open-heart surgery. Dr. D J Dutta, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati said, “We are proud of having pulled off this feat at a time when the nation is fighting against COVID pandemic. Reports suggest over 5 lakh elective surgeries were postponed across the country. However, in this case, we couldn’t afford to wait for long, as any delay could have worsened the patient’s condition and could have been fatal.” Dr. Rondeep K N Sivam, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati who assisted in this procedure said “This is the first case of its kind in the state of Assam. Having access of such advanced technology will largely benefit the people of Assam and neighboring areas.” Dr. J P Kalita, Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati said “Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) or Replacement (TAVR) is approved for intermediate to severe risk patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). This technique was already worldwide adopted for inoperable and high-risk patients. Improved device technology, imaging analysis and operator expertise has reduced the initial worrisome higher complications rate associated with TAVR, making it comparable to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).”

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad has launched Varian’s TrueBeam radiotherapy system with Velocity, an intelligent software solution for Interventional Oncology at Apollo Cancer Institute, Apollo Health City campus, Hyderabad. The versatile TrueBeam is capable of treating a wide range of cancers with high accuracy and precision, allowing oncologists or cancer specialists to treat many types of complex cancer cases. Patients also benefit due to the comfort, accuracy, and speed permitted by the TrueBeam system. The addition of the specialized software, Velocity, organizes patient data and makes it available in one place to help clinicians make more informed treatment decisions. Chief Guest Dr. (Smt.) Tamilisai Soundararajan, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Puducherry had inaugurated Telangana’s first and only Truebeam STx with Velocity at Apollo Cancer Centre, Jubilee Hills. Speaking on the occasion, she said, “Apollo is known for offering the best care available in the world. It’s a moment of pride for Apollo Health City to have this state of the art TrueBeam radiotherapy system with Velocity. It also a moment of pride for the entire state of Telangana to have the latest and the only TrueBeam radiotherapy. The evolution of radiation therapy has enabled to deliver differential doses within the target volume, ranging from zero to 100% dose. Today, with the latest TrueBeam machine we have the capacity to treat cancer with all the very best of technology put together in 6D robotic couch and CG Image guidance for best accuracy in treatment. It delivers highly precise intensity modulated radiotherapy in the shortest possible time where the patient gets to go home in 1 to 3 days with the least possible side effects. All these go a long way to get the patient the best treatment with minimal side effects. Cancer has been a rising threat with alarming statistics, in 2020 we saw around 13.25 lakh new cases of cancer in India, with 8.5 lakh deaths due to cancer. We must be cautious and concerned, it is estimated that by 2025, there will be 12% rise in cancer cases. It is a matter of concern that in 1990 there were 54 cancer patients per lakh population in Telangana and the incidence has since risen to 75 per lakh in less than three decades time. TrueBeam enables to access advanced care without the need for patients to go abroad, she added.” Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson Apollo Hospitals Groups said, the launch of the TrueBeam LINAC with Velocity is another milestone in Apollo Hospitals’ battle against cancer, one of the dreaded non-communicable diseases that in just the last year has seen over 13 lakh new cases and over 8.5 lakh deaths. With TrueBeam LINAC, our patients can rest assured that they will receive the most advanced radiotherapy techniques with the added benefits of a high degree of accuracy and a shorter treatment time for a successful treatment. In line with our move to an increased degree of digital healthcare, the Velocity software will provide our oncologists with the tools for data-driven clinical decision making, that will help to reduce the mortality and morbidity from cancer. Apollo’s mission from day one has been to bring the best of care to every individual and to make it affordable. Many of the technologies we offer in our hospitals are the latest in the world available at a fraction of the treatment cost abroad. Not just Indians, many people from across the globe come to Apollo to find cure. The recurrence of cancers has seen a steep 50% increase from 1990 to 2020. With resources that hospitals like ours have, along with most our proficient doctors with unparalleled knowledge and skills as Chairman Dr Prathap C. Reddy always says, cancer is no more a death knell. TrueBeam has been used for treating patients in over 90 countries and every year around 1.5 million patients receive treatment on a TrueBeam linear accelerator (LINAC). TrueBeam is Varian’s most advanced LINAC, with the system incorporating many technical innovations that intuitively and dynamically synchronize imaging, patient positioning, motion management, and treatment delivery. TrueBeam uses intelligent automation that not just simplifies the workflow, but also guides the specialists step-by-step through each radiotherapy treatment. The Velocity software organizes patient data and makes it available in one place, allowing the oncologist to access and compile treatment and imaging data from diverse systems for a comprehensive view of a patient’s diagnostic imaging and treatment history. This leads to more informed treatment decisions by facilitating close collaboration between physicians, oncologists, medical physicists, and others on the team. It also helps in cases of retreatment for recurrence or metastases. Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, Director Oncology, Apollo Cancer Center at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad said, “The TrueBeam platform with Velocity provides us with the tools to manage and treat our patients optimally. Many times, a patient has multiple treatments over a long period or even after a gap, especially if metastatic lesions occur months or even years later. It is here that the Velocity software allows the treating doctors to understand a patient’s full clinical history and reach a judicious decision about the way forward. It puts more power into the hands of the oncologist with a comprehensive view of a patient’s diagnostic imaging and treatment history, regardless of where they were treated or what technology was used. Velocity makes it possible to manage the entire cancer treatment journey from diagnosis to completion of treatment.”

Apollo Hospitals finds pride of place in the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 ranking released by Newsweek, the premier international news magazine and website. The ranking in partnership with global research firm Statista ranks the world’s best specialized hospitals and features the top 250 hospitals for cardiology and oncology and the top 150 for pediatrics among ten specialities. The Apollo Heart Centre at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai makes it to the list of Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Cardiology with a global rank of 126 and ranks No. 1 among the five Indian hospitals in the list. In the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Oncology, two hospitals from the Apollo Hospitals Group make it to the list with Apollo Cancer Centres at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital, Chennai and Apollo Hospitals, Chennai ranked at 228 and 239 respectively. The two hospitals are among just four Indian hospitals that are in list for Oncology. In the Paediatric speciality, Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai is ranked at 103 globally and is one among just five Indian hospitals that are part of the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Paediatrics ranking. This global recognition is testament to the specialty healthcare of international standards provided at Apollo Hospitals with outcomes matching those of the world’s best hospitals. Apollo Hospitals, with some of the world’s finest and brightest medical experts, has been the pioneer in bringing ground-breaking healthcare technologies to India to deliver best in class clinical results.

Apollo Hospitals Group has launched the Apollo Centre of Excellence in Critical Care (ACECC). Apollo Hospitals is currently the largest critical care provider in India with over 25% of its in-patient bed capacity designated for critical care. Critical care, also referred to as Intensive care, deals with critically-ill patients who require intensive care for various medical conditions that are immediately life-threatening but reversible. The ACECC will harness digital technology to create an integrated network of eICUs providing world-class critical care not just across the Apollo Hospitals network but also in partnership with non-Apollo units in India and abroad. The ACECC will enable wider and timely access to critical care and help in implementing a standardised scope of management and treatment in emergencies and critical medical situations. Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Critical illness leads to millions of deaths each year. However, critical care faces challenges due to factors such as lack of prioritisation, co-ordination, timely identification and availability of basic life-saving treatments. At Apollo Hospitals, we have the vision, expertise and ability to transform critical care for India and beyond, through excellence in outcomes in an evidence based cost effective manner. The Apollo Centre of Excellence in Critical Care will be instrumental in turning this vision into reality. The ACECC goes beyond Apollo Hospitals through partnerships with non-Apollo units, both public and private, to add value and make it a win-win for patients, doctors, nursing homes and hospitals across India.” The ACECC will comprise digital technology enabled Critical Care Units (CCUs) having standard protocols and operating procedures (SOPs) supported by smart solutions. This will enable expansion of the critical care network through e-ICUs using Tele-health and Apollo Connect. The ACECC will also focus on evidence-based protocols, training, and capacity building of critical care specialists. Ms. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The COVID pandemic highlighted the challenges faced by the country with regard to its critical care infrastructure. Studies have indicated that India has just 2.3 critical care beds per 100,000 populations as against 10 to 11 beds per 100,000 populations in developed countries like South Korea and Singapore. The pandemic brought to the fore the need for augmenting India’s critical treatment facilities and creating capability for high end critical care. The ACECC will be based on a network of hub-and-spokes units between Apollo and non-Apollo providers, both public and private, to ensure that every citizen has access to the best of critical care when needed.” Critical care is delivered by critical care specialists, who are also referred to as intensivists. An intensivist is specially trained to manage the broad range of conditions that are commonly found in critically ill patients. They also need to be aware of the various procedures and devices used in an intensive care setting, and the technology that powers it. They will also collaborate with other specialities that are relevant to individual cases. Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Critical care in the country today faces multiple challenges ranging from lack of trained staff and equipment and a lower priority given to emergency and critical care as compared to other specialities. The ACECC will enable quality critical care with a reduction in morbidity and mortality by encompassing the entire gamut of critical care backed by appropriate training of healthcare professionals. Integrated education and training through Medvarsity will ensure up-to-date clinical knowledge for the healthcare physicians and staff. International partnerships will create an environment for excellence in clinical standards, education, research and support.” Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “There was tremendous pressure on critical care during COVID-19 surge, but resilience and undiluted commitment of the intensivists ensured delivery of care of the highest standards given the circumstances. Innovation, agility, adapting to rapidly changing situations and dedication were on display in the most difficult conditions. In the spirit of the transformation that has been seen across healthcare, we have redoubled efforts to create an exceptional experience in critical care for all stakeholders. ACECC will oversee an integrated critical care network, leveraging our collective strength across the group, and will ensure that we take the speciality to a different level not only in the country but also build a global model for the same.” Dr. K. Hari Prasad, President – Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises said, “The country faces a resource mismatch with 80% of physicians working in urban areas and 70% of the population residing in remote locations. The ACECC will help in overcoming variability in expertise and critical care delivery and provide smart solutions to the national shortage of critical care experts.” Critically ill patients present with a different set of challenges from in-patients in other specialities. They require constant monitoring, care and support, which makes the role of critical care vital to the patient’s health. A patient in a critical care unit has an entire team of specialised physicians, nurses, and other medical staff to look after every need. Professor Ravi Mahajan, Director – Critical Care Integration and Transformation, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The launch of the Centre heralds furthering Apollo’s ambition to make high quality, affordable Critical Care expertise available even to the remotest parts of India. It will be a focal point for national networks and international collaborations achieving excellence through standard setting, developing protocols, quality improvement programmes, education and research”

15-day-old Baby Dianna from Mauritius successfully underwent a complex heart procedure at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. Baby Dianna was born on 28th July 2021 in Mauritius and was diagnosed with a severe congenital heart disease. The baby was born with cyanosis (bluish or greyish colour of the skin, nails, lips or around the eyes) and was diagnosed with valvular pulmonary atresia, a defect of the heart found at birth where the valve that controls blood flow from the heart to the lungs doesn’t open at all. She was surviving on the patent ductus arteriosus and was managed in a NICU (Neonatal intensive care unit). With the help of the government, she was brought to Mumbai on 12th August 2021. Baby Dianna was stabilized and in less than 24 hours she was taken to the Cath lab for a cardiac procedure. Before starting the procedure, Baby Dianna developed a severe Cardiac arrest, which needed immediate shock treatment (4 to 6 shocks were delivered) along with multiple emergency cardiac medications. In the last 16 months, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai has treated over 60 children from Mauritius. The lead doctor of this case, Dr Bhushan Chavan, Consultant, Interventional Paediatric Cardiology, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai, explains, “As her condition deteriorated, she was referred for further clinical management to Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, by the Mauritius government. The condition of the Baby Dianna was grim, with no response to these treatments, so temporary pacemaker was inserted as a last resort and we kept the heart beating, at the rate of 150/min. CPR was still continued and the procedure was abandoned.” Post the shock treatment, in the next couple of minutes, Baby Dianna regained her own rhythm and as a result, the pacemaker was removed. Baby Dianna was shifted to NICU for stabilization. In the next 10 days, the Baby had overcome all the neonatal problems (Acute kidney failure) and successfully extubated. She was also coming back to normal neurological functioning, assessed by a paediatric neurologist which was another miracle, despite having a long duration of CPR and cardiac arrest. Once Baby Dianna was stabilised, Dr Bhushan Chavan went ahead with the interventional procedure, and a Perforation and Balloon Pulmonary Valvotomy (widening of a narrowed pulmonary valve by using a balloon catheter inside the valve) was performed, to open up the defective pulmonary valve that had caused the cardiac arrest in the first place. Mr. Santosh Marathe, COO and Unit Head, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, said, “Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common congenital disorder in newborns and affects around 8 in every 1000 babies. The successful treatment of baby Dianna is a proud moment for our institution. Our team of world class experts have made sure Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, is recognised as one of the most advanced centres in Western India for paediatric cardiac care. The rising number of heart diseases in India has become a major concern now and with the growing pandemic there is even bigger threat to people who are at risk of cardiovascular diseases.” He further added, “Till date, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai has treated over 350 paediatric children and is equipped with state of the art NICU and PICU facilities backed by good intensive care, paediatric cardiologists and paediatric heart surgery team”. The case highlights how complex a critical congenital heart problem can be, if not treated on time. The excellence and the dedication of the team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals gave a new lease of life for the baby and the entire family.

Apollo Hospitals announced the national launch of an AI (artificial intelligence) tool to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Apollo AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk tool will help healthcare providers to predict the risk of cardiac disease in their patients and initiate intervention early enough to make a real difference. The cardiac risk scoring tool is remarkable for the speed in processing data and its accuracy at predicting the probability of a patient developing coronary disease. Using the tool, physicians will be enabled to deliver proactive, pre-emptive and preventive care for at-risk individuals, improving lives, while mitigating future pressure on healthcare systems. On the occasion, Apollo Hospitals also announced that it had found pride of place in the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 ranking released by Newsweek, the premier international news magazine and website. The ranking in partnership with global research firm Statista ranks the world’s best specialized hospitals and features the top 250 hospitals for Cardiology and Oncology and the top 150 for Paediatrics among ten specialities. The Apollo Heart Centre at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai makes it to the list of Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Cardiology with a global rank of 126 and ranks No. 1 among the five Indian hospitals in the list. Also, in the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Oncology, two hospitals from the Apollo Hospitals Group make it to the list with Apollo Cancer Centres at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital, Chennai and Apollo Hospitals, Chennai ranked at 228 and 239 respectively. The two hospitals are among just four Indian hospitals that are in list for Oncology. In the Paediatric speciality, Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai ranked at 103 globally and one among just five Indian hospitals that are part of the Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 – Paediatrics ranking. Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The nation’s economy is intricately linked to the health of the people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) leading to loss of productivity with consequent impact on national income. While estimates suggest that NCDs account for an economic burden in the range of 5% to 10% of GDP, it is the chronic nature of NCDs, and their projected increase in prevalence, that will result in a growing economic impact if not addressed in time. Among the rising burden of NCDs, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) figure at the top. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the Asia Pacific, and it’s a problem that will only intensify as our populations continue to age. It’s also a problem that healthcare providers struggle to diagnose early enough to make a real difference. “While some predictive tools do exist to help physicians understand the probability of their patients developing heart disease, most of these are based on Western data sets and don’t take regional risk variations into account. This impacts their accuracy when applied in an Indian context. The Apollo AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk tool will change that and put the knowledge and the means to predict and prevent heart disease in the physician’s hands. Available till now only to Apollo’s physicians, it is a proud moment for us to dedicate this AI tool to all physicians in the country.” Speaking on the Newsweek recognition, Dr. Prathap C Reddy added, “This global recognition is testament to the specialty healthcare of international standards provided at Apollo Hospitals with outcomes matching those of the world’s best hospitals. Apollo Hospitals, with some of the world’s finest and brightest medical experts, has been the pioneer in bringing ground-breaking healthcare technologies to India to deliver best in class clinical results.” The team at Apollo Hospitals collected more than ten years of data relating to 400,000 individuals across the country. Then, they used Microsoft Azure to turn that anonymized data into actionable insights that data scientists and clinicians could use to train machine learning models. The tool has been validated using data from the Maastricht Study, a long-term cohort health study in the Maastricht region and from the Heart and vascular Center at Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands. Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The AI tool to predict and prevent heart disease is the fruition of many years of research and development and stands testament to Apollo Hospitals’ technological prowess. Apollo’s AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score is specifically for use in the Indian population, so physicians can better predict the risk of cardiac disease in their patients. The tool is built on algorithms based on ten years of anonymized data relating to around 400,000 individuals across the country collected by the team at Apollo Hospitals. “The tool has also been validated internationally using federated learning through Microsoft Azure Platform. Doctors across the Apollo network have been leveraging this AI-powered tool for three years to predict risk of cardiovascular disease and drive preventive cardiac care across the country. With this launch of the AI tool to predict risk of heart disease, we will be able to help achieve the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing the risk of premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, including CVDs, by 25% by 2025.” The AI-powered tool delivers a more accurate CVD risk score using algorithms specifically for the Indian population and helps in developing standardised care regimens. Developed using a combination of applied AI and clinical expertise on a large sample of retrospective data on health checks and coronary events, the tool delivers a risk score that takes into account all contributing factors including lifestyle attributes such as diet, tobacco & smoking preferences and physical activity as well as psychological stress and anxiety as reflected via rate of respiration, and hypertension. The risk is categorized into High, Moderate and Minimal. The tool also gives insights on the risk contributors that can be modified to improve the score. This enables physicians to give a more holistic advice to their patients with specific insights for lifestyle modification.

A first-of-its-kind Post-Graduate medical simulation centre at Apollo Specialty Hospital, Vanagaram was inaugurated by Thiru. MA Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family and Welfare, Tamil Nadu, in the presence of Thiru. A. Krishnasami, MLA-Poonamallee, Thiru. K. Ganapathi, MLA-Madhuravoyal, Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, Vice Chancellor, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and Ms Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group. Apollo Simulation Centre (ASC) is the first-of-its-kind post graduate simulation centre set up in India. This advanced simulation Centre has been equipped with state-of-art, hi-tech, hi-fidelity computerized Simulators that will provide hands-on training for post-graduate medical students as well as assist practicing doctors to refine their procedural skills. This is an absolute necessity during this pandemic, as it allows students to gain procedural skills and handle critical emergencies in safe and controlled environment. Read more about Apollo Simulation Centre

A 28-year-old post-graduate medical student successfully underwent Robotic Colorectal Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai for her low rectal cancer and also succeeded in completing her studies as well as winning a gold medal. Dr. Venkatesh Munikrishnan, Consultant Colorectal & Robotic Surgeon at Apollo Institute of Colorectal Surgery, Chennai said, “The patient was diagnosed with very low rectal cancer in 2017 when she was 24 years of age, just as she was about to join her medical post-graduation. It was a shock to her as she expected that even with treatment, her medical dreams would come to an abrupt halt. This is because conventional surgery for colorectal cancer leaves patients with a colostomy, i.e., a surgically created opening in the body that routes bowel waste away into an external colostomy bag. It was then that she approached us with the hope that we could offer her a solution that would let her continue her studies and live a normal life. We did not let her down!” Read more about Robotic Colorectal Surgery performed at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai