Shalby Centre of Excellence: Catalyzing the Prospects of Medical Tourism in Gujarat
The buzz around the concept of patients travelling across borders to get quality health care, also popularly called Medical tourism or health tourism, has touched high notes. Not that it is a new concept because thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, patients came from all over the Mediterranean and wealthy Europeans travelled to spas from Germany to the Nile in 18th Century. A CII-McKinsey study on healthcare says medical tourism predicts Rs 5,000- Rs 10,000 crore market for tertiary hospitals by 2012. However, one needs to look at various factors that push the potential of India as a Medical Tourism hub. One of the best indicators, of growth in the sector is the number of institutes/ organizations that provide health care of international standards and steadily build up as brand of quality health service in the minds and hearts of its clientele.
Shalby on the Medical Tourism Map
Shalby hospitals founded in 1994 by Dr Vikram Shah – the doyen of Knee Replacement surgery in Indian and abroad, began with Total Knee Replacement Surgery and its reputation as the premier centre for TKR is established and keeps growing all over India and among international clientele. Mostly medical travel is about keeping the costs down, saving time while waiting for turns, ease and affordable International travel and a the high reputation of Indian doctors in the west particularly US and Europe. Shalby fulfills all these with the quality of care equal to or even better than hospitals in the United States or Europe. Also being placed in Gujarat gives it gets a distinct and advantageous edge.
Medical Tourism: Advantage Gujarat
Gujarat has various advantages and the large population base of Non Resident Gujaratis living in the UK and USA is one of the major ones. A total of 20 million-plus Indians are spread across the world out of which 6 million are Gujaratis which comes to 30 per cent of the total NRI population. The NRGs not only come to India for personal and medical visits but become an important link in spreading the word by way of mouth, building awareness about medical facilities available and also catalyzing and influencing patient choices. Also, Indian doctors, particularly Gujaratis enjoy a high reputation as doctors in the developed countries and keep participating in world medical conferences to update themselves of the latest developments in the medical field.
Among the other advantages are the highly qualified specialists in the field of Cardiology, Joint Replacements, Urology, Embryology, Orthodontics, Oncology and Orthopedics. The facilities and equipment available at the hospitals are comparable with the best hospitals in the country and even the world. The other major advantage the big industries in the field of Pharma and Bio-technology which are located in Gujarat. Its close association with health industry is an important factor that catalyzes the medical tourism factor. The prospect of Gujarat turning into medical tourism hotspot is immense, the indication of which can well be seen in Anand which has already turned into a global destination for couples seeking fertility treatment.
Not to forget the proactive approach of the state government that announced a medical tourism policy in 2006, aimed at better health care facilities and exposure for the medical fraternity. Under this policy a ‘Medicity' is also being set up sate of the art health facilities.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Stem cell Therapy the future of Health care
Stem Cells : Future of Medicine
With advancement in Medical technology, Stem Cells are touted to emerge as tomorrow’s pills─ yes live cells will rejuvenate the diseased organs and tissue systems and in not so distant a future, will even regrow them entirely. The future inched in closer when President Barack Obama overturned an important medical research policy of Bush regime by ending restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research which is considered crucial for the development of new medical treatments. It is a miracle waiting in the wings to arise sooner than later. The glimpse of the miracle can be had in the case of Kamini Patel who recovered from a terminal heart condition after having stem cell therapy in Shalby under the able guidance of Dr Shalin Thakore.
Shalby Stem Cell Therapy :
Seeing her now, it would be difficult to believe that 33 year old Kamini Patel, a housewife and mother, was on the verge of dying a few years ago. Six days after her baby was born Kamini developed severe breathlessness. She suffered from Dilated Cardiomyopathy – a condition in which her Ejection Fraction (EF), a parameter to measure the performance of the heart was only 4% (A normal healthy individual’s EF is about 60%). The breathlessness was so severe that all she could do was sit. She could neither walk, move or even sleep because her breathlessness worsened with any activity.
The Stem Cell Therapy involved harvesting stem cells by processing the blood which took approximately four days. The Stem Cells were delivered to her sick heart muscles through a process similar to coronary angiography by passing a catheter from an artery of her thigh into the heart. Within 10 days her EF increased to 15% and she was able to walk and within seven days Kamini was able to sleep without discomfort. The stem cells had saved her from sure death.
Stem Cell as Panacea:
Diabetes, cancer, heart ailments, Alzheimer's--all are deadly and often incurable diseases but stem cells will soon relegate them to history. These aren't the only conditions that stem cells have the potential to cure but also other diseases of kidney, Parkinson, spinal paralysis and severe burns etc. Substituting deceased brain cells with healthy new ones could cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke-related damage. Similarly replenishing dead pancreatic cells with new insulin-producing islet cells could banish diabetes or injecting fresh liver cells could totally rejuvenate a sick liver. The list of potential cures is almost unending.
Although it may sound like Sci-fi, predictions of how stem cells cure a myriad of diseases are based upon solid evidence. The unique case of Kamini in Shalby is a case in point. Stem cells from a variety of sources have shown amazing potential in animals and in the lab Stem cells probably are realization of the mythical stories about panacea or the ‘elixir of life’ that we all have encountered in fables and mythological tales. Only now they are turning out to be so real.
With advancement in Medical technology, Stem Cells are touted to emerge as tomorrow’s pills─ yes live cells will rejuvenate the diseased organs and tissue systems and in not so distant a future, will even regrow them entirely. The future inched in closer when President Barack Obama overturned an important medical research policy of Bush regime by ending restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research which is considered crucial for the development of new medical treatments. It is a miracle waiting in the wings to arise sooner than later. The glimpse of the miracle can be had in the case of Kamini Patel who recovered from a terminal heart condition after having stem cell therapy in Shalby under the able guidance of Dr Shalin Thakore.
Shalby Stem Cell Therapy :
Seeing her now, it would be difficult to believe that 33 year old Kamini Patel, a housewife and mother, was on the verge of dying a few years ago. Six days after her baby was born Kamini developed severe breathlessness. She suffered from Dilated Cardiomyopathy – a condition in which her Ejection Fraction (EF), a parameter to measure the performance of the heart was only 4% (A normal healthy individual’s EF is about 60%). The breathlessness was so severe that all she could do was sit. She could neither walk, move or even sleep because her breathlessness worsened with any activity.
The Stem Cell Therapy involved harvesting stem cells by processing the blood which took approximately four days. The Stem Cells were delivered to her sick heart muscles through a process similar to coronary angiography by passing a catheter from an artery of her thigh into the heart. Within 10 days her EF increased to 15% and she was able to walk and within seven days Kamini was able to sleep without discomfort. The stem cells had saved her from sure death.
Stem Cell as Panacea:
Diabetes, cancer, heart ailments, Alzheimer's--all are deadly and often incurable diseases but stem cells will soon relegate them to history. These aren't the only conditions that stem cells have the potential to cure but also other diseases of kidney, Parkinson, spinal paralysis and severe burns etc. Substituting deceased brain cells with healthy new ones could cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke-related damage. Similarly replenishing dead pancreatic cells with new insulin-producing islet cells could banish diabetes or injecting fresh liver cells could totally rejuvenate a sick liver. The list of potential cures is almost unending.
Although it may sound like Sci-fi, predictions of how stem cells cure a myriad of diseases are based upon solid evidence. The unique case of Kamini in Shalby is a case in point. Stem cells from a variety of sources have shown amazing potential in animals and in the lab Stem cells probably are realization of the mythical stories about panacea or the ‘elixir of life’ that we all have encountered in fables and mythological tales. Only now they are turning out to be so real.
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