In a first, Bharath Cancer Hospital, Mysuru to incorporate high-tech treatment system: Dr B S Ajaikumar
3 min read
Mysuru: At the pinnacle of his medical career, Dr B S Ajaikumar gave up his lucrative oncology practice in the US and came back to India, armed with an unflinching resolve to set up a philanthropic cancer hospital in Mysuru. Thus was born Bharath Hospital & Institute of Oncology (BHIO) in 1989.
At the same time, Dr Ajaikumar also incepted the Bangalore Institute of Oncology in Bangalore.
As the Chairman and CEO of BHIO, Dr Ajaikumar made it possible for the cancer patients in and around Mysore to avail of quality treatment at affordable cost. A radiation and medical oncologist with more than four decades of rich and varied experience, Dr Ajai completed his MBBS from St John’s Medical College from Bangalore and moved to University of Virginia Hospital Charlottesville to do his residency training in oncology. Subsequently,he completed his fellowship in radiation and medical oncology from MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Today, under his towering leadership, cancer care in India has undergone a paradigm shift, focused on redefining cancer as a chronic ailment, not a killer disease.
Excerpts from Q&A with Dr Ajaikumar…
How did the thought of starting a cancer hospital in Mysuru germinate in your mind?
Dr Ajai: I was aware of the plight of several people from Mysuru and surrounding places who had no option but to travel to Bangalore for cancer treatment. Consequently, I set up BHIO as a non-profit organization. It is pertinent to note that BHIO is the sole cancer hospital of its kind in Mysuru providing high quality and cost-effective treatment.
In recent years, the number of cancer patients has been on the rise.What may be the trigger?Â
Dr Ajai: Given the effects of ageing, environmental disruptions, and the stress and fatigue of fast-changing lifestyles, there has indeed been a steady rise in the incidence of cancer cases. In the last three decades, Bharath Hospital Institute of Oncology alone has treated more than 59,000 patients. Initially, we saw 500 new patients every year,but now almost 4000 new cases every year are being reported. Most of these are related to breast cancer, cervical cancer and esophageal cancer.
How can we decrease cancer incidence?Â
Dr Ajai: Ideally, we must enforce an unconditional ban on tobacco usage in any form, including tobacco chewing and cigarette and beedi smoking. We also need to initiate stringent environmental measures to reduce pollution which will help control cancer in the long run. Use of herbicides and pesticides must also becompletely eliminated.
Cancer cases can be brought down through early detection. If we cannot prevent cancer, we must strive to detect it early, which calls for massive community-wide cancer detection campaignsacross rural and urban populations. Now,early detection or prevention is a challenge in some forms of cancer, so we should at least have the right treatments in place. When we talk about right treatment, every patient should have access to it, whether rich or poor. Universal Healthcare is the only way to fulfil this objective through a solution-centric collaboration between the public and private sector.Â
Can you elaborate on theconcept of Universal Healthcare?
Dr Ajai: Universal Healthcare implies uniform treatment. Once it becomes a reality, every patient will receive the quality of care and cure, irrespective of his or her financial status. Contrary to popular perception, there are simple measures towards achieving Universal Healthcare. In this digital era, almost every one is a mobile phone user. So, we can tag a healthcare cess to the cell phone, and create a growing corpus for Universal Healthcare. India has so many youngsters. Their collective contribution can help build a robust universal healthcare pool which will benefit all citizens and bring in uniformity of care.
How does BHIO address the challenge of providing quality cancer treatment?
BHIO is equipped with best-of-breed technology infrastructure including linear accelerator, PET scan, pathology lab, and a multidisciplinary clinic. The hospital was conferred the Rajyothsava award in 2003-04 for providing high-quality treatment.
BHIO is technically supported by HealthCare Global Enterprises, the leader in oncology care across South Asia.Â
By November or December, BHIO will have its own Elekta Versa HD System, an advanced linear accelerator system designed to improve patient care and treat a broader spectrum of cancers. Once it is launched, BHIO will become the first hospital in Mysuru to provide world-class clinical care through this high-tech cancer-treating platform.
– Team MysoorunewsÂ
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