Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has successfully performed a combined heart and double lung transplant on the oldest recipient recorded in the country’s medical history. The department of Cardiothoracic surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai performed this rare surgery on a 67 year old, the patient is now on the road to complete recovery. Surgeries of this kind are very complex and rare and over the last 2 years only one patient over the age of 65 received a combined heart and lung transplant, anywhere in the world. The recipient, Mr.Hanifa from Kerala, was suffering from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis with severe irreversible right heart failure (cor pulmonale) leading to a combined end stage heart and lung failure. He was completely dependent on oxygen and was put on the list for a heart and lung transplant. He was however admitted on a late evening with extreme breathlessness, very low oxygen content in his blood and a low blood pressure. Dr.Paul Ramesh, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai said, “Hanifa is a strong willed person. He was clear that he would be put on a ventilator only if there was a prospect of a transplant and a possible, meaningful quality of life. He was fortunate that a matched donor was available within 12 hours. Thanks to the smooth coordination by the TNOS team of the Government of Tamilnadu and the provision of a quick transport of the heart and lungs by the efforts of the Chennai Traffic Police, it was possible to transplant both his heart and lungs in a smooth and efficient manner”. The team that performed this complex surgery comprised of Dr.Paul Ramesh, Senior Consultant; Dr.Sunder, Senior Consultant and Dr.Madan kumar Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery of Apollo Hospitals, Chennai.  

Apollo Hospitals collaborates with the Strand Centre for Genomics and Personalised Medicine through its own Sapien Biosciences to offer cutting-edge clinical genomic tests. These tests in Oncology, Cardiovascular disorders, Heritable eye diseases and Rare Genetic disorders shall be integrated into the clinical practice by Apollo’s subsidiary, Sapien Biosciences in partnership with Strand Life Sciences. These tests will help doctors diagnose diseases more precisely, identify the optimal treatment as well as monitor disease and treatment course for better outcomes. Genomics is integral to Apollo’s focus on research and innovations. Genomic testing involves analyses of patient genomes – genes and sequences of DNA/RNA. The analysis helps create better prognostic tools for improved disease screening and prevention strategies. The patient benefits from optimized clinical care, personalization of treatment and monitoring of outcomes. These tests come with comprehensive pre and post-test counselling to help patients and their physicians to integrate the tests results into the clinical care provided. Commenting on the partnership, Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals says, “Apollo has always believed that personalized medicine is the future of healthcare delivery. Our Chairman, Dr. P.C Reddy’s foresight of personalized health is becoming a reality today with the availability of such cutting-edge genomic tests. We are pleased that the Sapien team has drawn up a comprehensive plan for the introduction and integration of such diagnostic and genomic tests at Apollo. We are excited about this partnership with Strand Life Sciences. Under Dr. Vijay Chandru, Chairman & CEO, Strand Life Sciences, Strand is now translating their world-class expertise into the clinic through the introduction of these high-end genomic tests which will ultimately help us diagnose and treat patients with more precision and lesser suffering at Apollo.”  

Master Shivam had suffered from fever 5 months ago and later developed back pain leading to a deformity that made it difficult for him to walk. He also developed weakness in his legs and was unable to go to school or go out to play with friends. Later he was diagnosed to have tuberculosis of his spine and started treatment. As there was no benefit from the treatment with regards to his back pain and weakness, the family decided to come to Delhi for further treatment and explore the options of the latest treatments. Dr.Rajendra Prasad, Neurosurgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals,New Delhi found that there was a collapse of his vertebra on the back at his chest level leading to compression of his spinal cord along with a large collection of pus in that area. Standard surgery involves a large cut in the chest and over the back with prolonged hospital stay. Pain after the procedure can make the recovery and return to normal activities slow. Robotic surgery had been performed in this area but not for this condition anywhere in the world. After review of the scans, robotic instrumentation and discussion, it was felt that the procedure can be attempted robotically and if successful , it would give the child the benefit of this latest technology. The family of the patient was counselled about the procedure and the fact that it has never been done before. They understood the risks and were keen on giving the benefit of the technology to their child. The child himself was excited about being the first child to undergo this procedure. The surgical team included Dr.Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Amit Kapoor from Neurosurgery and Dr Arun Prasad and Dr Abhishek Tiwari from Minimal Access Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. The Robotic Surgery was performed on 15th July 2014. The procedure took about 2 hours and went off very well. Once he recovered from the procedure, the vertebras were fixed from behind a week later so as to enable early mobilization .He is now perfectly normal and healthy.  

A 34 year old patient with an unstable angina who was referred in for a bypass surgery alternatively underwent a simple keyhole angioplasty at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. The procedure was completed in just 20 minutes. “The coronary angiogram taken at her native place revealed a 90 per cent critical narrowing of the left main coronary artery (LMCA), the main arterial trunk supplying the majority of the heart muscle due to high cholesterol levels. After discussing the options in detail, the patient opted for a non-surgical- keyhole angioplasty procedure. The procedure took just 20 minutes, the family and the patient were thrilled at the quick outcome, “said Dr. Y. Vijayachandra Reddy, senior Consultant and Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai who conducted the procedure. Dr.Reddy added, “The use of advanced techniques, new generation drug eluting stents and adjunctive imaging technology of IVUS (intravascular ultrasound) which allows a virtual view of the inside of arteries has helped make these procedures simple.”  

As a result of the tie up, patients and their attendants from over 19 countries across the Middle East and Africa can come to the hospital’s flagship locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Bangalore to avail specially formulated fares for round-trip flights with Emirates. This facility is made available to patients from the Middle East – from countries like Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Furthermore, patients from African countries including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Cote d’Ivoire can avail this facility too. “Healthcare sector is evolving and has made great progress in the last few decades. However, access to better healthcare facilities, good quality and cost related challenges still exist. Therefore, we have entered into a strategic partnership with Emirates involving patients and their companions coming to Apollo Hospitals. Furthermore, all Apollo Hospitals customers can also enjoy special Emirates fares to selected destinations. We are delighted to team-up with Emirates Airlines and reach-out to those patients who value quality healthcare,” said Dr.K.Hariprasad, CEO, Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad. The hospital’s customers from India can save up to 6 % on return Business class and up to 4% on return Economy class bookings across the Emirates network in India. They can also save up to 10 % on business class and up to 5% on Economy class bookings from selected points of origin to India. Under this partnership, travellers coming to Apollo Hospitals from the above mentioned locations can avail the special fares through the ticket booking section of the Emirates Airlines microsite using the passcode, which is mentioned within the site. Click here to know more: www.emirates.com/in/Apollo  

94 year old Mr.Nasiruddin underwent a successful hip replacement procedure at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi after he suffered a fall and had injured his right hip. The surgery was a crucial one as there was only little hope of recovery considering the patient’s age. “The surgery was very challenging given the fact that he was a very elderly man and had other problems like extremely fragile bones and weak muscles”, said Dr Rajeev Sharma, Senior Consultant Orthopedics & Joint Replacement Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi  

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group announced forward looking leadership reorganization at Apollo aimed at furthering its strategic goals and achieving accelerated growth over the next five years while continuing to remain focused on its core of clinical excellence. Announcing the details of this change, Dr.Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “As the healthcare landscape in the country and the region changes and expands, this strategic realignment, we believe, will enable Apollo to focus on growth opportunities in hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and health insurance while furthering its clinical leadership and service excellence. We aim to deepen our focus in each of these verticals as well as drive synergies between them using technology and an ecosystem focused on wellness, innovation and productivity.” Apollo Hospitals has had a strong record of leadership centered on robust business performance and commitment to its customers and shareholders. It has demonstrated consistent growth in top line and profitability driven by its focus on clinical excellence and patient care. Our greatest asset is the trust that 40 million patients from 120 countries have reposed in our clinical acumen since our inception. This in turn, increases our responsibility to deliver even greater care to our patients and customers as well as our committed family of over 70,000 members along with a team of over 8000 highly skilled doctors who work relentlessly in our pursuit of excellence. The reorganization has been designed to maximize the growth as envisaged in the strategy developed in close coordination with all our stakeholders including external consultants. Similarly, the re-designation of the four Executive Directors is in keeping with the expanded roles and additional responsibilities being assigned to them aligned with the strategy, with a view to achieving the organization’s accelerated growth agenda. Ms.Preetha Reddy will assume an expanded role and be re-designated as Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. Focused on Apollo’s core strength, she will work closely with the organization’s 8000 clinicians in reviewing global medical advancements and in introducing contemporary protocols to further enhance clinical outcomes. She will lead the organization’s thrust on continuous quality improvement processes to achieve the highest standards of patient satisfaction. Ms.Preetha will persevere to further build and strengthen engagement with doctors across the organization’s network. Considering the immense potential in international business, Ms.Preetha will directly lead this portfolio and drive Apollo’s aspiration of becoming the global healthcare destination. She will steer the Enterprise Risk Management portfolio for the company. In addition to her organizational responsibilities, Ms.Preetha will work closely with industry bodies and the State and Central Governments to advance policy matters on important healthcare issues. Ms.Suneeta Reddy has displayed deep domain knowledge and foresight in guiding Apollo’s emergence as a formidable and financially sound hospital enterprise. She will now assume the role of Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. She will lead the corporate strategy, corporate finance, funding and investments and will leverage M&As to achieve the accelerated pace of growth and optimize profitability. Ms Suneeta will directly steer the hospital vertical and will also handle Brand and Marketing. Ms.Shobana Kamineni will assume additional responsibilities and be re-designated as Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. She will continue to spearhead Apollo Pharmacy related initiatives, which is presently the fastest growing business within AHEL. In a short span of time, Apollo Pharmacy has grown to become not just the largest pharmacy chain in the country but also acquired a unique position among the top 5 retail companies in India due to the sheer size of its retail operations and geographic presence. Ms.Shobana will oversee the planning, design and execution of new projects and lead the Apollo Global Projects Consultancy Division. Ms.Shobana continues to be a Whole Time Director on the Board of Apollo Munich Health Insurance, the company she founded. The business, we believe, has a very strong growth potential. Ms.Sangita Reddy will take charge as Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited and will assume greater responsibilities which will include creating an IT enabled patient centric operation across the Apollo footprint and creating an unmatched continuum of care for patients. Ms.Sangita has always been focused on the need to create healthcare of the future and has championed the organization’s endeavours in the domain of telemedicine, e-health and mobile health. She will continue to steer Apollo’s thrust on research, innovation and healthcare initiatives. In growing the group’s retail healthcare foray, Ms.Sangita will also spearhead Retail Health, including Health & Lifestyle under Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd., the company running Clinics, Cradles and other retail service formats. She will lead the Human Resources and IT functions across all divisions of the Group and will continue to be the Chairperson of Apollo Knowledge, the education vertical of the group. Dr.Reddy added, “We see enormous growth opportunities on which Apollo can capitalize; this restructuring will further facilitate our objective of leveraging on the company’s leadership and current business assets and platforms to execute against these opportunities. Our primary focus at Apollo is to continue on our path of growth and profitability in existing businesses while expanding to newer geographies, develop new areas in the healthcare business and harness the potential of technology to accelerate growth and innovation thereby continuing to significantly build shareholders value. While there is no change in our capital allocation plans as already communicated earlier, we believe that this structure will enhance our ability to invest and grow each of our key business platforms as we move forward.” There would be no change in the existing terms of remuneration payable to the working Directors. The Board today also approved the appointment of Mr. Vinayak Chatterjee as an Additional Director with effect from 2nd July 2014 to hold office as an Independent Director of the Company. Dr.Reddy said, “We are delighted to have Mr.Vinayak on our Board as he brings to the fore immense versatility of experience as a strategic advisor who has guided domestic and international corporates, the Government of India, various Ministries dealing with infrastructure, as well as multilateral and bilateral institutions in the areas of infrastructure planning and implementation. He has been one of the leading proponents of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for developing India’s infrastructure and I firmly believe that PPPPs which includes People participation would be key to ramping up the healthcare infrastructure in our country at an accelerated pace.”  

Apollo Hospitals and Fiji National University jointly organized the first “”Fiji – Health for all Medical Symposium””, at the Pasifika Auditorium, Fiji National University, Suva, on July 27, 2014. The Symposium was a confluence of some of the best minds from various streams of medicine like Cardiac Sciences, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Oncology, Renal Transplant and Critical Care Nursing including Dr.Kaushik Bhattacharya, Dr.Manoj Agarwal, Dr.Rahul Lath, Dr.Rooma Sinha, Dr.Vijaya Rajkumari and Dr.Hari Krishna from Apollo Hospitals This medical symposium has received the fullest support from the Ministry of Health, Fiji. Fiji National University, one of the largest universities in the South Pacific with an illustrious history within its component parts, continues to develop, innovate and expand to provide Fiji and the region with the education and training that is most-needed. With the rise in Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) becoming a bigger problem than communicable diseases in many countries, and keeping in mind the Ministry of Health’s vision of a healthier nation, Fiji National University has partnered with the Apollo Hospitals Group and hosted this, first-of-its-kind medical symposium.

A large turnout of health conscious people thronged the premises of the Times of India office at Nandanam, Chennai. The check-up included height and weight measurement, blood pressure testing and pulmonary function test, which checks the wellbeing of the respiratory system and lung chest wall mechanics to determine whether the patient has a lung problem. The test was followed up with a free consultation with the General Physician Dr. Thilagavathy Sukumar. “Chronic coughs, coughing out blood and stark change in voice are all signs that help detecting lung cancer. Upon diagnosis, the patient should really opt for a full evaluation including an X-ray, PET scan and a CT scan. Many people refrain themselves from being tested due to the fear of knowing the complexity of the disease. This free check-up will enable people to have a broad idea about the preventive measures to be taken and be prepared in case of any early detection of the illness,” she says. Those who participated in the check-up had a positive outlook upon receiving their consultation says Mr.M.Sethukumaran, who attended the camp, “”I had taken a full heart check-up at Apollo six months ago and when I heard of this free camp, I decided to appear for this as well. These camps are a good way of making people, especially youngsters aware of their health.”” Apollo has regularly organized numerous camps, along with many marathons and health awareness talks over the years to spread awareness about early detection of cancer . Dr.T.Raja,Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology at Apollo Cancer Hospital , Chennai says, “”Lung cancer is not just contracted by smokers. Even non- smokers are equally at danger. Mutations in the cells of the lungs through genetic conditioning cause the cells to become cancerous. Early detection ensures that these changes are forced to mutate because of carcinogens that are absorbed by the lungs. We, at Apollo, believe that the early detection is the best strategy for any country to follow when it comes to tackling this illness.  

Surgeons at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai successfully attempted a multi-organ transplant, giving a middle-aged man a new liver, intestine and pancreas, on Thursday. The liver, intestine and pancreas of a 12-year-old boy, who was declared brain-dead, were transplanted to the recipient in a marathon 14-hour surgery. Dr. Anand Khakhar, Programme Director, Centre for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Apollo Hospitals Chennai, said that the recipient, a resident of Chennai, suffered from liver disease and his intestinal venous system was occluded. “”We performed a combined transplant of the liver, intestine and pancreas on him. It was a multi-visceral transplant,”” he said. The surgery commenced at 3 a.m. and ended around 5 p.m. on 28th June 2014. Four senior surgeons were part of the team that performed the surgery. Doctors said they would have to wait to see the outcome of the complex procedure.  

Apollo Hospital is to be inaugurated at Nasik on 29th June 2014. Our Chairman Dr.Prathap C Reddy is the Chief Guest at the inaugural function. Apollo Hospitals, Nashik would be a multi-superspecialty hospital offering a complete range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. All specialty and super-specialty services like Anaesthesiology, Cardiology, Critical Care etc. are available at the hospital and the hospital has on board a group of highly skilled and motivated consultants across specialties.  

Apollo Hospitals has always strongly believed in social initiatives that help transcend barriers. In keeping with this, the group has started several impactful programmes in remote areas. One among these initiatives is Apollo Total Health Nutrition Centre”” at Charala, Aragonda GP, Andhra Pradesh. A community welfare initiative with the aim of providing quality nutritional guidance and care to the families from various sections of the society . The Nutrition centre was inaugurated by Dr.Mandeep Singh in presence of Ms.Usha & Mr.Ram Naresh from Apollo Hospitals. Apollo will regularly conduct comprehensive health and nutrition camps through the “”Apollo Total Health Nutrition Centre”” at Charala, Andhra Pradesh. The Group actively leverages its knowledge and technology to the development of remote corners of the country.