Nagpur leaping towards becoming medical hub

By Vikas Vaidya


Nagpur is fast on way to become medical hub because of its easily accessible location and presence of high level of expertise with matching advanced infrastructure.Almost all the medical facilities available in big metros are available here and that too in fraction of their cost. It needs organised, small to medium-sized dispensaries, hospitals are here. There should be structural development system. A three tier system is proper. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary system should be there. Then services can be streamlined, cost efficacy will increase, research aspect will be well taken care of. Nagpur has become a medical hub.The patienys fron adjoining states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgadh and Andhra Pradesh come to Nagpur for the treatment of medical problems. Patients from Nagpur are no more going to Hyderabad and Mumbai as all diagnostics and treatment modalities like PET scan, Radiotherapy, Cancer surgery, Interventional Radiology, Bypass surgeries , Complex Angioplasties , Hard core critical care management , Complex heart and other surgeries of newborns are available at Nagpur that too at affordable cost. Modi Government has decided to open AIIMS at Nagpur. Upgradation of Mayo,Medical and Daga hospital, Nagpur is going to be largest fully equipped medical hub of Central India.
Dr Anand Pathak, a well-known Oncologist of State whose view has much importance. He said, “Nagpur can be said as medical hub. But there should be structural development system. A three tier system- Primary, secondary and tertiary system should be there. Then services can be streamlined, cost factor will be managed, research aspect will be well taken care of. In foreign countries, hospitals and academic medical centres both are working. They take care of teaching and research too. In our country, except few private hospitals, many are not into teaching. In Europe, the private universities like Horward, Boston are doing excellent teaching and research work.”
Dr Pathak pointed out, “Our many medical practitioners come from foreign country and concentrate on patients care only. Because of which the second and third line of leadership do not get developed. They should go into hardcore teaching. The local civic authorities should recognise what are the needs of medical industry which is bringing name, fame to the city. They should not be tied in rules and regulations. Infrastructural development should be made.
Government should give land may be on lease, charge some rent and earn revenue out of it by establishing chain of hospitals there. MCI or IMA should regulate these things so that there should be no injustice then we can say that medical hub is here.”
According to Dr Sanjeev Chaudhary, noted Orthopaedic Surgeon who initiated Osteoporosis awareness in Central India agreed that Nagpur is becoming medical hub, “Mainly because of geographical location, connectivity, high standard of medical treatment. Almost every technology which is used for the treatment of medical ailment is available in Nagpur with few moer development in infrastructure Nagpur can certainly become prefered destination for healthcare.”
Dr Shailesh Pitale, noted Endocrinologist also carries the same view. He said, “The medical facilities in Nagpur are at par with any medical center in the country. We have highly trained specialists in most of the major medical specialities. Nagpur has certain unique advantages- central location and good connectivity, good city roads and short commuting distances. Most important is the personal touch which most of the patients and relatives appreciate. We have patients comming in from all parts of the country as well as from some other countries like Dubai, Europe and also from USA”.
How MIHAN is related to medical hub? Government Dental College and Hospital Dean Dr Vinay Hazarey has the answer. He said, “I recall about 10 year ago I met R C Sinha ,the first project director of MIHAN. We discussed the specialities in all fields of medicine, dentistry and allied specialities. As regards to Dental care,the city has internationally renowned specialists and offers services from dental care to oral cancer care, thus proving the concept of superspeciality. Nagpur can be a very resourseful city for upcoming Dental AIIMS.
“With presence of as many as as many as 8 medical colleges in Vidarbha we have ample specialist and super specialist doctors who pass out from here, go outside to train in super speciality but come back because of love towards Nagpur. But Nagpur needs further push to develop further as medical tourism hub and here comes the roll of strong political will," pointed Dr Rajesh Swarnakar, Lungs Specialist and Director
Getwell Hospital.
Dr Sanjay Deshpande, President of IMA said, “Nagpur has become a medical hub.The patients from adjoining states like Madhya Pradesh,Chhattisgadh and Andhra Pradesh come to Nagpur for the treatment of medical problems. But the local administration is not keen on developing this as a commercial aspect, it seems.”
Being capital of erstwhile central Province and Berar state; Nagpur already has history of taking care of the health needs of central Indians. Nagpur used to cater to 3-4 states adjoining Maharashtra. With this legacy; it was but natural for Nagpur to transform into a major medical hub for central India. The private healthcare sector subsequently took advantage of the immense faith of central Indians on Nagpur doctors and stood upto their expectations and trust since decades. Almost 50% of patients being attended by all major hospitals, diagnostic centers, private clinics and private practioneers in Nagpur belong from other states. State governments of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh recognize and empanel Nagpur hospitals for the health care needs of their employees and BPL beneficiaries.  Hence Nagpur can easily claim to be the medical hub of Central India, added Dr Anup Marar, Director (Administration), Orange City Hospital and Research Institute

Availability of PET Scan

Dr Sudhir Neral, well-known Radiologist who brought Positron emission tomography (PET) Scan in Nagpur which is the only one in Central India tells about the functions of this unique machine. It was not available in Nagpur till 2 years ago. But with its availability everything has changed.He says, “It is a nuclear medicine, functional imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of functional processes in the body. In modern PET-CT scanners, three dimensional imaging is often accomplished with the aid of a CT X-ray scan performed on the patient during the same session, in the same machine.”


AIIMS can make difference

Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Sancheti who along with Dr Anand Pathak will be instrumental to establish big Cancer Hospital in city said, “Modi Government has decided to open AIIMS at Nagpur. Upgradation of Mayo,Medical and Daga hospital, Nagpur is going to be largest fully equipped medical hub of Central India.”


Points to ponder

When The Hitavada discussed the issue with Dr Deepak Jeswani, noted Critical Care Specialist and President (Elect) of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM).
- Most of the individual hospitals are cost effective, well within reach of common people
- In this part of country There are no major cities like Nagpur with super specialist, even if
  specialist doctors are available they are lacking in infrastructure, diagnostics and qualified   manpower. For example if a neurosurgeon diagnoses a patient with brain tumour, he will not have advanced technology like MR spectroscopy to confirm the diagnosis, he may not have Hi- Tech operation theatre with costly equipment like Neuro Microscope, even if he operates at a place were these are available, what after surgery? These type of surgery requires very experienced nursing staff to handle such patients after surgery, also a qualified intensive care specialist is very much needed to closely monitor these patients after a supra major surgeries. This type of trained medical and paramedical staff is not available at every place. But these trained staff and specialist are available in abundance at Nagpur.
Patients from Nagpur are no more going to Hyderabad and Mumbai as all diagnostics and treatment modalities like PET scan, Radiotherapy, Cancer surgery, Interventional Radiology, Bypass surgeries , Complex Angioplasties , Hard core critical care management , Complex heart and other surgeries of newborns are available at Nagpur that too at affordable cost.