Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Vanagaram, has deployed two Advanced Life Support SMART Ambulances to serve Vanagaram and surrounding communities. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Billion Hearts Beating Foundation (BHB), with support from Marsh India’s corporate social responsibility programme. Under the collaboration, BHB serves as the Project Implementing Partner, while Apollo Hospitals provides clinical and emergency-care expertise. The initiative aims to strengthen access to timely pre-hospital care and improve coordination during the transfer of critically ill or injured patients to hospital.The ambulances are equipped with advanced life-support and clinical monitoring systems. Trained emergency medical personnel can monitor patients and provide appropriate care during transport based on the patient’s condition and the equipment available. The two ambulances have also been deployed at special medical camps across Vanagaram to support emergency preparedness and extend healthcare services closer to communities.At the launch, Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO – Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals, said the ambulances would strengthen the emergency-care chain beyond the hospital and enhance the ability of medical teams to reach patients during the critical period before hospital arrival.Ms. E Avanthi Reddy, Chief Strategic Officer, and Ms. Sudha Jhijaria, Head – CSR Operations, Billion Hearts Beating Foundation, highlighted BHB’s role in implementing the initiative and taking healthcare support closer to communities. They said the collaboration would help bridge the gap between an emergency and timely medical care.Mr. Sanjay Kedia, President and CEO, Marsh India, said the CSR-supported initiative brings together resources, implementation expertise and clinical capabilities to strengthen emergency medical response and improve access to timely support.The deployment extends Apollo Hospitals’ pre-hospital emergency-care capabilities in Chennai. By combining trained emergency personnel, advanced life-support equipment and coordination with hospital teams, the initiative aims to support continuity of care from the point of response through transport and hospital admission.

Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, has launched an Intuitive-accredited fellowship in Robotic Uro-Oncology and Pelvic Surgery. The programme is designed to provide structured clinical learning and supervised practical training in robot-assisted uro-oncological and pelvic procedures. According to the hospital, it is the first fellowship of its kind in Eastern India. The fellowship will be conducted under the guidance of Dr. Tarun Jindal, Senior Consultant – Uro-Oncology, Apollo Cancer Centre, Kolkata. Dr. Jindal specialises in uro-oncology and robotic, laparoscopic, minimally invasive and open uro-oncological procedures. Training will cover robot-assisted procedures including radical prostatectomy, cystectomy, partial nephrectomy and groin lymph-node dissection. The programme will combine personalised instruction with structured exposure to surgical planning, robotic-system skills and supervised operative training.Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy and cystectomy are among the recognised applications of robotic surgery in urological oncology. Groin lymph-node dissection may also be performed using a robotic approach in selected patients, depending on the clinical indication, available expertise and individual patient factors.In robot-assisted surgery, the operating surgeon controls articulated instruments from a console while viewing a magnified three-dimensional image of the surgical field. These capabilities can support visualisation, instrument control and access during complex minimally invasive procedures. The technology remains a surgical tool, with operative decisions and control resting with the surgeon.The fellowship is intended to expand opportunities for specialised robotic surgical training in Eastern India and support the development of expertise in complex uro-oncological and pelvic procedures. Structured training, appropriate supervision and progressive assessment are important in helping surgeons develop the technical and clinical skills required to use robotic systems safely.

Ms. Upasana Kamineni Konidela has taken charge as Director – Projects at Apollo Hospitals. In this role, she will work with the organisation’s leadership, clinical teams and project partners on the planning and delivery of hospital projects across India as Apollo advances an expansion programme with an estimated total project cost of approximately ₹8,600 crore. Her responsibilities will include new hospital projects, expansions and upgrades at existing facilities, and the development of consistent design standards across patient spaces. She will also support project processes, reporting and coordination from the design stage through to the opening of facilities.A key focus will be on creating hospital environments that support patients, families and clinical teams. Priorities include clearer signage and wayfinding, easier navigation, efficient clinical spaces and a more comfortable experience for patients and their families.Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, said Ms. Konidela’s experience in community and preventive health, along with her role in bringing Apollo’s new 400-bed hospital in Hyderabad’s Financial District to life, had contributed to her understanding of healthcare beyond buildings and infrastructure. She noted that Ms. Konidela would bring this perspective to Apollo’s projects and help shape the next generation of its hospitals.Apollo’s expansion programme includes approximately ₹1,565 crore in listed brownfield projects at existing facilities, alongside capacity additions in established markets and new facilities in growing urban centres. Published plans identify projects across Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru, as well as Lucknow, Varanasi, Indore, Guwahati and Ranchi, among other locations. The specific projects and budgets that will fall within Ms. Konidela’s mandate are yet to be confirmed by Apollo.Speaking about her new responsibility, Ms. Upasana referred to the vision of her grandfather, Apollo Hospitals Founder-Chairman Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, that world-class healthcare should be within reach of people in India. She said her responsibility was to carry that belief into the hospitals Apollo builds and the facilities it improves.Ms. Upasana emphasised that hospital design should help patients navigate facilities without confusion, support families and provide doctors and care teams with spaces that enable them to deliver care effectively. She said Apollo’s future projects would seek to bring together thoughtful design, compassionate care and Indian clinical expertise while serving the needs of their surrounding communities.

Apollo Cancer Centre, Visakhapatnam, has completed more than 100 bone marrow transplants in three years, marking an important milestone in its haematopoietic stem cell transplantation programme. The achievement reflects the combined efforts of patients, families, caregivers and the multidisciplinary teams involved throughout the transplant journey. Dr. Rakesh Reddy Boya, Senior Consultant – Medical and Hemato-Oncology and BMT Physician, Apollo Cancer Centre, Visakhapatnam, acknowledged the contribution of patients and their families, as well as the clinical and support teams involved in the programme. Dr. B. V. Krishna Prasad, Chief Operating Officer, Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam, highlighted the hospital’s efforts to make specialised cancer and transplant care more accessible within the region.Bone marrow transplantation, also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, is used to treat selected blood cancers and other serious blood disorders. Depending on the condition and type of transplant, stem cells may be collected from the patient or obtained from a suitable donor. Treatment involves careful preparation before transplantation and close monitoring during recovery to identify and manage complications. Patients receiving donor stem cells also require monitoring for graft-versus-host disease.The milestone reflects the specialised infrastructure and coordinated care required for stem cell transplantation, including laboratory support, infection prevention, intensive monitoring and post-transplant follow-up. Suitability for transplantation depends on factors such as the underlying disease, disease status, the patient’s overall health, the type of transplant being considered and, where applicable, donor suitability.By developing its transplant programme in Visakhapatnam, Apollo Cancer Centre is helping patients access specialised haematology and transplant care closer to home while maintaining the multidisciplinary assessment and long-term follow-up required for these complex procedures.

Apollo Adlux Hospitals, Kochi, has been named a winner in the "Leadership Engagement in Quality and Safety" category at the AHPI Leadership Awards 2026, organised by the Association of Healthcare Providers (India). The award category recognises healthcare institutions whose senior leadership is actively involved in quality improvement and patient-safety initiatives. It considers areas such as leadership oversight, quality-improvement programmes, monitoring of safety indicators, incident reporting, clinical governance, staff training and resource allocation.For Apollo Adlux Hospitals, the recognition reflects its continued focus on integrating quality and patient safety into clinical and hospital operations. Effective safety systems require coordination across leadership, clinical teams and support services to identify risks, maintain standards and promote consistent practices across the organisation.The award highlights the importance of visible leadership involvement in building a culture in which quality improvement, patient safety and patient-centred care remain shared organisational priorities.

Apollo Healthcare Academy (AHA) and C&A Corporation, Japan, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in healthcare education and medical technology learning. The collaboration is expected to create opportunities for students to interact with researchers and technology professionals from C&A Corporation, complementing academic learning with exposure to the development and application of healthcare technologies.C&A Corporation is a Japanese technology company established as a spin-off from Tohoku University’s Institute for Materials Research. Its work includes the development of scintillator crystals and radiation detectors used in medical imaging and other applications.Through the collaboration, students will gain learning exposure to areas including positron emission tomography, radiation detection and scintillator technology. Scintillators are materials that produce light when exposed to certain forms of radiation. They are used as detector components in imaging systems such as PET and SPECT scanners and gamma cameras.By combining healthcare education with international industry interaction and technology-focused learning, the partnership aims to help students understand how scientific and engineering developments are translated into practical healthcare applications. It may also help them explore educational, research and career pathways in medical imaging, diagnostics and healthcare technology.The initiative reflects AHA’s focus on connecting academic learning with practical industry exposure and supporting students in developing skills relevant to evolving healthcare and diagnostic technologies.

Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai, has received the Best Super Speciality Hospital Award at the Times Healthcare Achievers Tamil Nadu 2026. The award was presented by Dr. K. G. Arunraj, Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu. The recognition acknowledges the hospital’s work in providing tertiary and super-speciality care for patients with complex medical and surgical conditions.Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, provides care across multiple medical and surgical specialities, supported by diagnostic, interventional, surgical and critical-care services. For patients with complex or co-existing conditions, its multidisciplinary model enables specialists from different fields to contribute to clinical assessment, diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning according to individual care requirements.The award adds to the institutional recognitions received by Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, and highlights the role of specialist expertise, multidisciplinary decision-making and coordinated care in managing complex health conditions.

Apollo Hospitals Pune has launched a dedicated Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Clinic for the specialised evaluation and management of cancers involving the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers many of the organs within it. Described by the hospital as Maharashtra’s first dedicated clinic of its kind, it has been designed around multidisciplinary assessment and individualised treatment planning. Peritoneal surface malignancies may arise within the peritoneum or develop when cancer spreads there from another organ. The clinic will evaluate patients with conditions including appendiceal tumours and pseudomyxoma peritonei, colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases, ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers, peritoneal mesothelioma, selected gastric cancers with peritoneal metastases and recurrent peritoneal disease.The clinic’s coordinated care pathway includes specialist assessment, multidisciplinary tumour-board review, cytoreductive surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in selected patients, rehabilitation, nutritional support and survivorship care. Cytoreductive surgery aims to remove as much visible tumour as possible from within the abdominal cavity. HIPEC involves circulating heated chemotherapy within the abdomen during surgery to treat microscopic cancer cells that may remain after visible disease has been removed.Dr. Snita Sinukumar, Consultant Surgical Oncologist and HIPEC Specialist, Apollo Hospitals Pune, said treatment selection is based on detailed evaluation and multidisciplinary review. She noted that cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC may have a role in appropriately selected patients and that care should continue after treatment through structured recovery, rehabilitation and longer-term survivorship support.Dr. Harit Kumar Chaturvedi, CEO and Clinical Head, Apollo Oncology Network, said peritoneal surface malignancies require specialised expertise and a team-based approach. He highlighted the importance of careful assessment, multidisciplinary review and matching treatment decisions to the needs of each patient.Dr. Rakesh Shah, COO and Unit Head, Apollo Hospitals Pune, said the clinic brings together specialists from Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, supported by advanced diagnostics and a dedicated tumour board. This multidisciplinary model is intended to coordinate assessment and treatment planning across specialties.Apollo Hospitals Pune will serve as the initial clinical hub for the initiative, which also aims to develop a wider referral and clinical collaboration network across Western India. The clinic reflects the complexity of managing cancers involving the peritoneal surface, where treatment decisions depend on the underlying cancer, extent of disease, the patient’s overall condition and multidisciplinary assessment.Cytoreductive surgery, HIPEC and other intraperitoneal treatments are not appropriate for every patient. Their role varies according to the type and extent of cancer, previous treatment and individual clinical circumstances, and can be determined only after specialist evaluation.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, is evaluating the ZAP-X Gyroscopic Radiosurgery System as a potential non-invasive treatment approach for selected patients with severe essential tremor that persists despite medication. The evaluation is being conducted through an ongoing clinical research programme.  The multidisciplinary clinical team includes Dr. Sudheer Kumar Tyagi, Senior Consultant – Neurosurgery; Dr. Mukul Varma, Senior Consultant – Neurology; and Dr. G. K. Jadhav, Senior Consultant – Radiation Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.   Essential tremor is a movement disorder that causes involuntary shaking, most commonly affecting the hands. Severe tremor can interfere with activities such as writing, eating, dressing and personal care. Although medication can help control symptoms in many patients, some continue to experience disabling tremor despite treatment.  ZAP-X is a focused radiosurgery system designed to deliver radiation precisely to a selected target within the brain. Under the research programme, radiosurgery is used to target an area associated with tremor control, with the aim of reducing tremor and improving hand function. The procedure uses a customised mesh mask instead of an invasive metal headframe, generally does not require general anesthesia and may allow the patient to return home on the same day.  The first patient treated under the programme was a 66-year-old woman with a six-year history of progressively worsening hand tremors that persisted despite medication. The tremor had increasingly affected everyday activities, including eating. Treatment targeted an area on one side of the brain associated with control of her dominant hand, and the procedure took approximately 45 minutes.  Five weeks after treatment, the patient remained under follow-up. Unlike procedures that may produce an immediate change, the response to radiosurgery can develop gradually. The clinical team will assess changes in her tremor, hand function and ability to perform everyday activities over approximately six weeks to six months.  Dr. Sudheer Kumar Tyagi said the programme is evaluating whether focused radiosurgery can produce meaningful improvements in hand function and daily activities for patients with severe essential tremor that has not responded adequately to medication, without requiring an invasive surgical procedure.

In an exclusive NDTV Walk the Talk conversation, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Founder-Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, discussed India’s evolving healthcare landscape and its potential to become a global healthcare destination. The conversation with Mr. Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, also covered medical tourism, artificial intelligence in healthcare, preventive care, healthy ageing and the role of Ayurveda alongside modern medicine.    Reflecting on 43 years of change in Indian healthcare, Dr. Reddy spoke about the expansion of the country’s medical infrastructure and clinical capabilities. He noted that patients from more than 150 countries now travel to India for treatment and highlighted the availability of skilled doctors, diagnostic services and advanced treatment as factors supporting India’s potential as a global healthcare destination.  A major focus of the discussion was the growing role of artificial intelligence and advanced technology in healthcare. Dr. Reddy said AI can provide clinicians with additional information, support more precise diagnosis and make certain healthcare processes faster, potentially allowing doctors to spend more time with patients. He also discussed ZAP-X radiosurgery as an example of advanced technology being incorporated into cancer care. The use and clinical value of any such technology depend on the condition being treated, appropriate patient selection, clinical expertise and supporting evidence.  Dr. Reddy also emphasised preventive healthcare, early detection and healthy ageing. He highlighted the role of regular health checks in identifying health risks earlier and discussed cardiovascular disease and cancer as areas in which timely detection can support appropriate assessment and management. He linked this focus on prevention and well-being with his broader vision of “Health, Happiness at Home”.  Discussing Ayurveda alongside modern medicine, Dr. Reddy spoke about considering different systems of care according to individual patient needs. Traditional and complementary treatments, however, should be assessed for evidence, safety, quality and possible interactions with conventional medicines. Patients should discuss their use with qualified healthcare professionals, particularly when they are already receiving treatment for an existing medical condition.  At the age of 93, Dr. Reddy said he continues to be motivated by the question of what more can be done for patients. The conversation reflected his focus on preventive healthcare, appropriate use of technology and India’s potential to contribute more extensively to global healthcare delivery.  To watch the full NDTV Walk the Talk conversation with Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, click https://youtu.be/-dGy7qMCfFQ?si=k-dGFgIz0Hy97Eve. 

A research project from the Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation (AHERF), Hyderabad, has been selected for an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Intermediate Extramural Grant worth ₹2.8 crore, as stated by Dr. S. Karthik Kumar, Scientist, Cell and Molecular Biology Research Center, AHERF, Hyderabad, serving as the project’s Co-Investigator.     The project, titled “Tumor-Enriched Extracellular Vesicle Multi-Omics for Precision Diagnosis and Therapy Stratification in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma”, is led by Dr. Manda Venkata Sasidhar, Chief Scientific Officer, AHERF, as Principal Investigator. It will investigate tumour-enriched extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment stratification of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.   The research will examine extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, found in blood and saliva as potential sources of molecular information about cancer. Extracellular vesicles are small membrane-bound particles released by cells and can carry proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and other biological material that may reflect processes occurring within their cells of origin.  Using a multi-omics approach, the researchers will analyse different types of molecular data obtained from tumour-enriched extracellular vesicles. The project will evaluate whether the identified biomarkers could support more precise diagnosis and treatment stratification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.   Extracellular vesicle-based biomarkers remain an area of active research and require rigorous clinical validation before they can be incorporated into routine cancer diagnosis or treatment planning. Challenges such as vesicle isolation, identification of tumour-derived signals and assay standardisation must also be addressed to support their eventual clinical application.  The project builds on AHERF’s research in extracellular vesicle biology, biomarkers and translational diagnostics. Through the study, the research team will examine whether molecular information obtained from blood- and saliva-derived extracellular vesicles could have clinically relevant applications in head and neck cancer care. 

Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), Chennai, has received the Excellence in Oncology Award at the Times Healthcare Achievers Tamil Nadu 2026. Mr. Karan Puri, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Cancer Centres and Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, accepted the award on behalf of the centre at the ceremony in Chennai. Established in 2019, APCC provides multidisciplinary cancer care encompassing surgical, medical and radiation oncology, including proton therapy. Its specialists work through multidisciplinary teams to evaluate patients and develop individualised treatment plans based on the type and stage of cancer and other clinical considerations.The recognition highlights APCC’s work in multidisciplinary oncology and the continued development of its specialised cancer-care programmes, combining clinical expertise, advanced treatment capabilities and coordinated patient care.