A revolutionary textbook on Surgical Oncology, dealing with the fundamental principles, evidence based approaches and emergent technologies was released by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals. The book has been edited and compiled by Dr. David L Bartlett, Dr. Pragatheeshwar Thirunavukarasu and Dr. Mathew D Neal, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, USA. The first copy of the book was received by Pariventhar Thiru. T.R.Pachamuthu, Chancellor, SRM University. The first chapter of the book has been authored by the iconic figure in cancer research, Dr. Bernard Fisher, after whom is named the commonly known “ Fisher Concept of Cancer”, a concept that explains how cancer spreads. Its the first book with a Level of Evidence table at the end of each chapter. The first copy of this book was seen by Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr. Kalam expressed exuberant encouragement and appreciation on the groundbreaking work being done by Dr. Pragatheeshwar and his team on the gene therapy for cancer. In his speech at a medical convention, Dr. Kalam said,“Today I received an email from Dr Pregatheeswar Thirunavukarasu, from University of Pittsburg, USA, who recently came to address the Science Congress at Chennai. He is an expert in gene therapy and has found a gene therapy for cancer. The results of his work are published in many reputed peer-reviewed scientific journals. The early results are very promising, but there is a long way for them to go. He and his team are working on many ideas to fine-tune the function of vaccinia virus and make it more effective and safe. ” He further added,“They are looking for opportunities to increase awareness and interest among the medical community in India and other countries about this method of cancer therapy, so that more research and clinical trials will happen. My greetings to him and his team for the success. If this successfully comes up, certainly there is a great revolution in cancer management.” The book comprises contributions of 40 authors from the USA, including experts in their respective fields. This is the first ever book in oncology which has a Level of Evidence table at the end of each chapter which lists down the strength of scientific evidence available for each procedure or treatment that is practiced. Such information is priceless in an era of evidence-based medicine. There is one exclusive chapter for Robotic surgery in the book, which would be the future of Surgical Oncology. Speaking at the launch, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group said,“This pathbreaking book enlightens one on several aspects of cancer research. It can lead and steer many more future researches in understanding cancer and developing innovative and futuristic therapies. Apollo Hospitals is committed to making every type of Cancer curable and my teams pursue this goal relentlessly. In India, almost 35% of the world’s cancer population resides and cognizant of this statistic, Apollo Hospitals has stepped up efforts for the prevention of cancer, early detetction of cancer and is forefront of developing innovative protocols to treat cancer. On this momentous occasion, I convey my heartiest congratulations to Dr. Pragatheeshwar and his team for having brought upon this commendable work to India. This is indeed an opportunity for the medical fraternity in India to raise the bar in cancer surgery and treatment.” Dr. Pragatheeshwar, who has pioneered this project, said,“This book has been specially crafted to educate and update oncologists in India on the latest evidence, technologies and the future of cancer surgery. It is a text book which has been supported by Level of Evidence tables so as to provide enough research-based approaches to cancer care. Dr. Bartlett’s team and I have been working on a particular therapy named Vaccinia Oncolytic Gene Therapy, which is still in the stages of testing and fool proofing. We hope that through the collaborations with the healthcare pioneer in India, Apollo Hospitals, we will be able facilitate more studies and trials on these futuristic technologies. ”

ICICI Lombard Health Insurance and CNBC-TV18 announced the winners of the first ever India Healthcare Awards 2010 – India’s unique initiative recognizing the best Indian Healthcare Providers. Apollo Hospitals bags the – “”India’s Most Preferred Hospital””- Viewer’s Choice Award and Apollo Hospitals Chennai wins the third best Hospital in India award. ICICI Lombard General Insurance, India’s largest private sector general insurer and CNBC-TV18, India’s biggest business medium today announced the winners of ‘India Healthcare Awards 2010’. These awards are a first-of-its-kind in the country that recognizes and honors the best medical service providers in India. The winners were felicitated at a gala awards ceremony in Mumbai by Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, Honorable Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare. The India Healthcare Awards 2010 aims at recognizing the achievements of the best Indian Health Care Providers who have undoubtedly extended best infrastructural facilities, excellent in-house services to the patients and have provided holistic care for the well-being on an individual. The awards witnessed the presence of the Indian Healthcare community, leaders and representatives from Indian private and government organizations, policy makers and important luminaries from sectors affiliated to the industry. The ICICI Lombard Health Insurance and CNBC-TV18 India Healthcare Awards 2010 received an overwhelming response with around 2000 applicants from India’s biggest hospitals from all parts of the country. The best hospitals were chosen based on a robust three phased research methodology commissioned by CNBC-TV18, sponsored by ICICI Lombard Health Insurance and conducted by IMRB International, pioneers of Indian market research who were also the knowledge partners for these awards. For more details, visit http://www.dishtracking.com/blog/2010/12/cnbc-tv18-announces-winners-of-india-healthcare-awards-2010

Apollo Health Street, a developer of world-class solutions that tackle healthcare’s toughest financial challenges, recently announced a new partnership to provide Apollo’s Full Business Office program to the Roxborough Memorial Hospital. Roxborough Memorial Hospital is a 141-bed community hospital. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls and northwest section of Philadelphia communities for more than a century, having first opened its doors in 1890. Roxborough Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing has been educating nurses since 1898. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. Roxborough Memorial Hospital is part of Solis Healthcare. Over the next five years, Apollo’s healthcare experts will be responsible for office site management that will include the oversight of electronic and manual billing, patient account follow-up, correspondence processing, payment and remittance posting, reconciliation and follow-up, financial counseling, self pay patient and account follow-up, patient accounting customer service, and clinical denials. “”Our comprehensive Full Business Office solution meets Roxborough’s need to address aging accounts receivable and improve cash collections. We believe the hospital will quickly realize results that enhance their bottom line,”” said Karen Ferrell, President and CEO of Apollo Health Street. Using technology and healthcare experts, Apollo will streamline patient interactions including pre-registration data collection, eligibility, billing, insurance follow-up, and self pay collections using a comprehensive approach. As a result, Roxborough will increase compliance, maximize appropriate billings and improve cash flow. “”We are confident that teaming with Apollo and utilizing their expertise will allow us to increase cash flow and remain focused on providing excellent patient care,”” said Tony Esposito, Chief Financial Officer at Roxborough Memorial Hospital.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals launched Novalis Tx – a major advancement treating cancer. The technology was unveiled by the Delhi Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikshit, in the presence of Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group. Novalis Tx is an advanced form of radiotherapy and radiosurgery that offers a versatile combination of advanced technologies for treatment of tumors and lesions. Novalis Tx is one of the most effective methods of radiotherapy and radio surgery. In sensitive and crucial areas like the brain, pinpoint accuracy is paramount; a conventional radiation treatment can potentially cause severe complications. To overcome this shortcoming, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has installed the Novalis Tx Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy platform. This advanced equipment shapes the radiation beam precisely to the tumor or lesion, ensuring that the best possible treatment dose is delivered while damage to the healthy tissue is minimized. Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals is one of the very few hospitals in India offering this advanced technology. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Today, Indian hospitals such as Apollo are at par with the best, anywhere in the world in terms of outcomes, doctors and technology. We are honoured that our Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikhsit has inaugurated the first Novalis Tx unit in this part of the country. This latest technology, along with the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, are in line with our mission to provide the highest level of care to our patients.” Standard radiation systems use fixed shape beams to treat tumors and lesions. Most tumors are irregular in shape, so the conventional dose cannot completely conform to the exact shape which can lead to radiation causing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Novalis Tx, with its cutting-edge technology, addresses this limitation in overcoming cancer. “I am delighted to launch the Novalis Tx and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals today. Apollo Hospitals has done tremendous work in creating awareness about cancer, its burden can be decreased significantly if cases are detected and treated early.” said Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi. Novalis Tx is an advanced technology which helps in improved and effective treatment of tumors and lesions as it is precise, fast, non-invasive, flexible and offers a good alternative for those patients who are unfit to undergo surgery.Novalis Tx is equipped with sophisticated image-guidance tools and motion management tools that can perform a CT scan of targeted tissues in real-time. It is therefore able to pinpoint the position of the tumor at every movement and move the radiation beam to deliver the required dose accurately, completely and safely. Smt. Sheila Dikshit appreciated the efforts undertaken by Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals to provide state-of-the-art health facilities to the patients.

Billion Hearts Beating, a 360-degree national communication campaign of the Apollo Hospitals Group and The Times of India, won the Global Award for Brand Excellence as the Campaign of The Year Award at the recently concluded World Brand Congress 2010, at Mumbai. In its eighteenth year now, the World Brand Congress is an annual showcase event & is an interface for top executives from brands and marketing organisations worldwide. The agenda of the year was to address the current critical business challenges and also to recognise and reward the best communication campaigns, across various categories. Like every year, an independent jury selected the best campaigns, professionals and organizations of 2010 to be awarded at the “”Global Awards for Brand Excellence”” for excellence in brand building. With nearly 300 entries from around the world across various categories, the jury had a challenging task to shortlist and choose the best ideas that made a difference in communicating the message effectively. Apollo Hospitals’ Billion Hearts Beating was one of the twenty seven ‘Campaigns of The Year’ that were submitted to the jury and after deliberations, made the cut, along with three other campaigns, to be awarded the best marketing Campaign of The Year 2010. Through its Billion Hearts Beating campaign, the Apollo Hospitals Group has been able to make a positive difference to the fight against heart disease in India, by engaging with nearly 100,000 individuals so far and motivating them to make lifestyle changes towards a healthy life. The campaign continues to gather momentum with celebrities, opinion makers and heads of states, all lending their charisma to help the cause of a healthy heart. About Billion Hearts Beating Campaign : Studies over the last 60 years show an alarmingly high rate of coronary heart disease and premature heart disease among Indians. It is estimated that Indians are nearly four times more susceptible to heart attacks than Caucasians, with 25% of attacks happening to people under the age of 40 – unheard of in other populations. While the problem has its roots in lack of regular physical activity, poor blood cholesterol levels, poor eating habits and stress, there is one more reason; a genetic predisposition. Scientific research reveals that Indians are genetically more prone to heart disease, prompting research efforts to identify this mutant gene and neutralize it. Current research has identified 7 risk factors. These 7 together also present the solution, for if these risk factors are addressed, heart disease can be significantly reduced. Communication, it was felt, was the key to addressing these risk factors and increasing general awareness about how heart disease could be countered. Accordingly, Apollo Hospitals Group took the lead in launching a 360-degree campaign, articulated as ‘Billion Hearts Beating’, in partnership with The Times of India, in April 2010. The creative output included press and electronic media and on-ground activation. The campaign achieved the critical mass in terms of engaging people to visit the website to take a pledge for a healthy heart. Contemporary messaging, easy-on-the-eye visuals and simplicity were the defining points in making the campaign effective and memorable.

Cricketer Wasim Akram launched the Sugar Clinic at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, which offers an integrated solution to manage Diabetes. Sharing his own experience, Akram said, “”I am a diabetic since the age of 29. I have played a lot of cricket after being diagnosed with diabetes. I am 44 now, and all these years what I have learnt is how to manage life to stay fit.”” Dr. Preetha Reddy, Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, spoke on the necessity of tackling the trend of non- communicable diseases, including diabetes. The Sugar clinic is a new development in the treatment process of diabetes that will be offering integrated solution to manage the disease.

Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad launched a state-of-the-art cardiac facility ‘Centre for Advanced Cardiac Care’ (CACC). Announcing this at a press conference Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said that CACC was specially set up to address the ever expanding pandemic of heart disease in Andhra Pradesh. CACC will cater to the needs of the patients from the twin cities and Telangana districts. According to her, the CACC has a dedicated, highly qualified and experienced cardiology and cardiothoracic teams, skilled technologists and support staff ably backed by a modern multi-specialty medical facility. The Center is equipped with state of the art modern flat panel cardiac catheterization laboratory. To provide care on par with the best cardiac facilities in the country, the Center has acquired latest technology including Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) and Intra vascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Apollo Hospitals is geared to venture into the mobile health space with plans to tie up with telecom operators Aircel and Idea to deliver m-health solutions. The m-health rollout is likely to start in early January 2011, in Tamil Nadu and the North East sector before being expanded to other key cities. The service will be commenced with a core of 100 staffer and tele-centres in Chennai and Kolkata. The expansion of the service will involve opening tele-centres in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Delhi. We have an initial target of reaching out to an estimated 1.50 million users through the m-health platform.

With the world’s attention continuously focused on the Indian healthcare sector, and this market more dynamic than ever, it is essential for the industry to have an annual platform to recognize the exemplary work done by organizations and individuals for their significant contributions and achievements. Taking this initiative forward, Frost & Sullivan organized its second annual 2010 India Excellence in Healthcare Awards at JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai. The stalwart honored with the special award Lifetime Achievement Award was Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Executive Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group. Dr. Reddy is the visionary whose vision and efforts resulted in India gaining prominence on the global healthcare map. His path breaking initiatives have brought about a paradigm shift and have made global healthcare companies look at India as an emerging and attractive opportunity; his initiatives have also helped domestic healthcare companies grow and address local needs. His great contribution to the Indian healthcare industry has led to a positive shift in perception of Indian healthcare services at a global level. Apollo Pharmacy was presented with the Healthcare Retail Company of the Year Award, 2010. The panel of judges represented the who’s who from the Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Medical Technologies, Healthcare Delivery, Healthcare IT and Private Equity Sector.

“Apollo Hospitals and British Medical Journal Group – the media arm of British Medical Association announced a tie-up involving mobile health applications for patients and continuous medical education for doctors and other professionals. According to Dr Prathap C Reddy, chairman of the Apollo Group, the first phase the partnership would provide “”Indianised”” contents from the huge data base of BMJ to doctors through different delivery mechanisms, including the mobile platform, by January next year. “”We are yet to work out the revenue sharing formula with BMJ. For the users, like doctors, it will primarily be on a subscription basis,”” he told mediapersons. Apollo group’s role in the partnership would be to “”Indianise”” the contents from BMJ’s data base and disseminate it through different delivery mechanisms, including some of the hospital group’s in-house platforms. The information, which will also be translated into other Indian languages, will be available to patients through the mobile phone and other mechanisms, including web access and patient leaflets. “

Doctors at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi performed a successful Auditory Brain Implant on a four-year-old girl from Iraq. Fatima Ali came to the hospital on August 25 and was diagnosed with bilateral sensory-neural hearing loss with underdeveloped cochlea. She was unable to hear since birth. On evaluation and pre-assessment it was found that the cochlea of the child was very small and the auditory nerve was also very poorly developed so a cochlea implant was not possible. Dr. Ameet Kishore, ENT and Cochlea Implant Surgeon decided that the only option available was an auditory brain implant. Fatima underwent a nine-hour surgery on August 26 where an electrode array was inserted into the brain stem with the help of Neurosurgeon Dr. Pranav Kumar. The surgery was performed independently by two Indian surgeons and monitored live by a doctor in Melbourne, Australia. A scan done post-surgery confirmed that the implant was in position and all was fine. The child was discharged on September 4 and her implant will be switched on in four weeks, followed by mapping (programming of the implant along with hearing and speech therapy), which will help Fatima hear sounds which she was unaware of before.

Apollo Transplant Programme performs the highest number of organ transplants in India – 534 transplants in less than eight months. Apollo Hospitals performs 537 liver, kidney and heart transplants in 238 days making us the second busiest transplant program in the world. 26th August, 2010 First standalone dialysis centre launched The Apollo Hospitals Group launched the first standalone dialysis centre in Public Private Partnership with Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). The Apollo Hospitals Group launched the first standalone Dialysis Centre in Public Private Partnership with Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). At present, of the 1.5 lakh new patients who suffer from end-stage renal failure annually, only 3,500 get kidney transplants and 6,000 undergo dialysis. After realising the demand for this service which is only going to rise in future, CGHS has decided to step into the standalone model for dialysis as a pilot. Present on the occasion were Secretary (Health) Govt. of India, Director General Health Services, Govt. Of India and Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group. The “CGHS Apollo Dialysis Centre” is a pilot project in collaboration with Alliance Medicorp (India) Limited (AML), Chennai, a Joint Venture company of Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd. (AHLL) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (AHEL).