BLK-Max Hospital collaborates with Intuitive to launch first-of-its-kind robot-assisted surgery
fellowship training programme; focus on upskilling surgeons across India
- BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital is the first private hospital in the country to have da
Vinci dual console - The programme aims to address the growing demand for skilled robotic-assisted
surgeons in India
Mumbai, October 10, 2023: BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital, one of the leading healthcare services providers, along with its knowledge partner, Intuitive, (Nasdaq: ISRG), a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, today announced the launch of a comprehensive dual console robot-assisted surgery fellowship training programme in oncology for surgeons across India.
With BLK-Max Hospital being the first private hospital in the country to have a da Vinci dual surgeon console, the fellowship is being launched to cater to the need for more trained RAS surgeons and it aims to prepare the next generation of surgeons to be equipped in the field of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS).
The da Vinci dual console allows a surgical mentor to teach with both the mentor and the trainee working at a surgeon console simultaneously. The system brings across some innovative features including voice and laser guidance systems, a lightweight endoscope, and the same control console and 3D optics system that lets surgeons see into the patients as they operate the device, it also employs tiny instruments that mimic the movements of a human hand but with a wider range of motion. These benefits go a long way in enabling the surgeon and care teams to provide life-enhancing care for their patients.
The fellowship extends over three months and is designed to acquaint surgeons with robot-assisted surgery from OPD consultations to live operations focusing on its technology, clinical applications, and benefits with hands-on training. The fellowship programme will be led by one of the leading robotic surgeons in the country, Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas.
Commenting on this initiative, Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas, Vice Chairman, Oncology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital said, “Our motto with this fellowship is ‘Upskilling the future generation of surgeons’ and the core objective is to equip participants with the skills and expertise needed to confidently navigate the exciting world of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). It is often difficult for surgeons to gain exposure to robot-assisted surgeries and what sets our fellowship apart is its immersive nature, providing participants with a deep and hands-on experience using advanced surgical systems like da Vinci. We hope that this initiative will influence many young surgeons in India to take-up robot-assisted surgery.”
For the duration of three months, the course will include three sections with exposure to a variety of robotic surgery cases in oncology along with practice sessions on robotic port placement and docking, hands-on experience with a robotic simulator, active involvement as assistant in surgeries, and immersion in from outpatient (OPD) to inpatient (IPD) settings. The training will be carried out on the new-age robot-assisted surgical system, da Vinci by Intuitive.
Mandeep Singh Kumar, VP and Country General Manager, Intuitive India, said, "We appreciate the vision of BLK Max Super Specialty Hospital to encourage healthcare professionals for adopting new technologies towards enhancing patient outcomes. With robotic surgery continuing to gain prominence as the preferred mode of surgery, early exposure to the robotic platform is becoming increasingly important. We are witnessing a rapid increase in the number of healthcare practitioners in India who are keen to adopt advanced surgical technologies to better serve their patients. Programs like this will help them with the necessary training from the early adopters of RAS, which will eventually lead them to actively use robotic-assisted surgery in their practice. We look forward to continuous improvement in access for patients and clinical outcomes through an increased adoption of robotic-assisted surgery across the country through fellowships like these.”
About Max Healthcare:
Max Healthcare Institute Limited (MHIL) is one of India’s largest hospital chains (considering only income from healthcare services) in fiscal 2023. It is committed to the highest standards of medical and service excellence, patient care, scientific and medical education.
MHIL has major concentration in North India consisting of a network of 17 healthcare facilities. Out of the total network, eight hospitals and four medical centres are located in Delhi and the NCR and the others are located in the cities of Mumbai, Mohali, Bathinda and Dehradun. The Max network includes all the hospitals and medical centres owned and operated by the Company and its subsidiaries, partner healthcare facilities and managed healthcare facilities. These include state-of-the-art tertiary and quaternary care hospitals at Saket, Patparganj, Vaishali, Rajendra Place, and Shalimar Bagh in Delhi NCR and one each in Mumbai, Mohali, Bathinda and Dehradun, secondary care hospital in Gurgaon and Day Care Centres at Noida, Lajpat Nagar and Panchsheel Park in Delhi NCR and one in Mohali, Punjab. The hospitals in Mohali and Bathinda are under PPP arrangement with the Government of Punjab.
In addition to its core hospital business, MHIL has two SBUs – Max@Home and Max Lab. Max@Home is a platform that provides health and wellness services at home and Max Lab offers diagnostic services to patients outside its network.
