Sardarjung Hospital in Delhi to go high-tech; robotic surgeries soon

The Safdarjung Hospital will soon become the first central government run hospital to provide high-tech 3D laparoscopies to treat advanced urology cancer as it doubles down on its aim to scale up minimally invasive surgeries using robotics.

The Centre of Excellence in uro-oncology department plans to provide these surgeries free of cost to the poor. According to officials, these advanced treatments will be provided at the hospital's new super-specialty block, which is likely to be inaugurated in July this year by the union health ministry.

Dr Anup Kumar, who heads the department of Urology and Renal transplant at the hospital, told Mail Today, "Now, poor patients suffering from renal and urological disorders won't have to wait long months and would not have to shell out money as centre of excellence in Uro-oncology department has started minimal invasive surgeries."

"Starting with 3D laparoscopy surgeries, the Uro-oncology department is soon going to conduct its first robotics surgery in India. Health ministry is working on it. All equipments for robotics surgery are being purchased and things are at the final stage. We are just following Prime Minister's mantra of providing world class expertise with robust infrastructure



in healthcare," the doctor added.

ROBOTICS SURGERY FREE OF COST

It will be the first government-run hospital to provide Robotics surgery and advanced laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgeries free of cost. These surgeries cost anywhere around Rs 10 lakh at a private hospital.

Doctors said that with the start of the new block, the waiting period will come down significantly as once robotics surgeries start, the uro-oncology department would be able to perform twice the number of surgeries in a day. Right now, more than 100 patients with urological cancer are waiting for treatment the waiting time is more than a year.

The new super-specialty renal and uro-oncology block will have 50 beds, four operation theaters with Robotics surgery facility and will run six days a week, said Dr Kumar.

According to Dr Kumar, in conventional surgeries, surgeons have to make a huge cut to operate patients and see his/her internal organs. "In 3D laparoscopy and robotics procedures, a very small key hole is done on the body and all internal organs are seen on screen for with 3D vision and more clarity. The department has also started the laparoscopic donor surgeries and this is not even done at AIIMS ," he said.