The Azurion Cath Lab boasts a range of features that elevate it to the forefront of cardiac care technology:

1. Minimized Radiation Exposure: Inamdar Hospital prioritizes patient safety with the Azurion Cath Lab, which is equipped with advanced technology to minimize radiation exposure during cardiac procedures.
2. Unmatched Speed and Precision: The cath lab’s cutting-edge design ensures unparalleled speed and precision in diagnosing and treating cardiac conditions, providing patients with swift and accurate interventions.
3. Clearer, Sharper Images: With high-resolution imaging capabilities, the Azurion Cath Lab delivers clearer and sharper images, enabling healthcare professionals to make more informed decisions and enhance patient outcomes.

Dr. Parvez Inamdar, Founder and CEO of Inamdar Hospital, highlighted the hospital’s commitment to providing the best possible cardiac care in Pune. He expressed his excitement about the introduction of the Azurion Cath Lab, emphasizing the hospital’s dedication to staying at the forefront of medical technology for the benefit of their patients.

“Inamdar Hospital has always been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, and the introduction of the Azurion Cath Lab underscores our commitment to providing world-class cardiac care in Pune. We believe that this state-of-the-art technology will significantly enhance our ability to diagnose and treat cardiac conditions with precision and efficiency,“ said Dr. Parvez Inamdar.

To shed light on the importance of cardiac health in the youth and the benefits of the Azurion Cath Lab, renowned Cardiologist Dr. Hasmukh Gujar shared his expert opinion.

“Cardiac health is of paramount importance, especially among the youth. The Azurion Cath Lab’s capabilities align perfectly with our mission to provide advanced cardiac care. The minimized radiation exposure, unmatched speed, and precision, along with clearer images, empower healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients,” commented Dr. Hasmukh Gujar.

With the tagline “Pune’s Heart Beats Stronger,” Inamdar Hospital takes pride in ushering in a new era of cardiac care, setting a benchmark for excellence in healthcare services in Pune.

About Inamdar Hospital: Inamdar Hospital is a leading healthcare facility in Pune, dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate medical care. With a commitment to innovation and patient-centric services, Inamdar Hospital continues to be a trusted name in the healthcare industry.

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PUNE: Yet another feather to his cap! Dr. Nilesh Unmesh Balkawade, Clinical Head & Fertility Specialist at Oasis Fertility, Pune (Wakad and Kharadi) was felicitated with Youth Icon Award at the ISAR Conference held in Bhopal from 3rd to 5th February 2023. Hon. Minister of Health, Madhya Pradesh, Shri Prabhuram Chaudhary presented this award to Dr. Nilesh Unmesh Balkawade in presence of Dr. Nandita P. Palshetkar, President ISAR Bhopal, for his tremendous contributions to the field of infertility at a very young age and for being an inspiration to the youth.

At such a young age, Dr. Nilesh Unmesh Balkawade has reached great heights through his expertise, passion, dedication, and outstanding commitment. He has helped many couples attain parenthood through several initiatives like I wish to be a Millennial Mom, fertility consultation camps, talk shows, campaigns, etc. He has also trained the fertility fraternity in the country through workshops, CMEs, etc. Dr. Nilesh is one of the prominent fertility specialists in Maharashtra and with a patient-first approach, he has helped thousands of fertility-challenged couples achieve parenthood.

On receiving the award, Dr. Nilesh Balkawade stated, “I am privileged to receive this award and I am committed to providing personalized fertility treatments that are affordable, evidence-based, and offer high success rates”.

Oasis Fertility, Pune (Wakad & Kharadi) offers a wide range of fertility treatments including IUI, IVF, IVM, fertility preservation, donor treatments, etc. Through exclusive male fertility clinics AndroLife, advanced male fertility treatments like TESA, MicroTESE, Microfluidics, MACS, etc. are offered to men to achieve their fatherhood dream. With state-of-the-art IVF labs, advanced technology, and top-notch fertility specialists and embryologists, Oasis Fertility offers consistently higher success rates.

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MUMBAI: This International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, DKMS announces DKMS-BMST Patient Funding Programme. With the program, the organization aims to support financially underprivileged blood cancer and blood disorder patients in India by covering a part of the treatment costs for patients meeting the eligibility criteria. Each case is evaluated against a set of pre-defined socio-economic criteria. In addition, eligible funding requests are reviewed by a Medical Advisory Committee consisting of experienced transplant physicians. As an international and multifaceted non-profit organization, DKMS employs a wide range of programs and services to help patients worldwide.

With an aim to improve the situation for patients in India, the DKMS-BMST Patient Funding Programme and the DKMS-BMST Thalassemia Programme are initiated under the umbrella of the DKMS mission to increase Access to Transplantation for underprivileged patients.

Help, where help is needed

Every year, over 1 lakh people are diagnosed with blood cancer or a blood disorder such as Thalassemia or Aplastic Anemia in India. With over 42 million carriers, the country is also known as the Thalassemia Capital of the world. The most effective treatment for such life-threatening diseases is a blood stem cell transplant, ideally at an early age. Even for those patients who do get access to therapy and appropriate health care, this often results in heavy social and financial burdens on patients and their families.

For Indian patients, particularly from middle and lower-middle-class families, the situation is not just dire, but also very challenging. Guidance related to treatment, financial support, and planning, are the most critical factors affecting access to transplantation in India.

Success story

The organization has already started enrolling patients under the DKMS-BMST Patient Funding Programme.

One of the patients who benefitted from the program, was Diganth, a 10-year-old boy from Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, in 2017, when he was just 5. Since then, he underwent chemotherapy and other treatments to manage his leukemia. But in the year 2021, his condition further deteriorated and doctors recommended a stem cell transplant as his only chance at survival. Diganth’s family had to struggle a lot to manage the cost of his treatment.

His father, a carpenter said, “The doctors told us that only one thing could save my son, a stem cell transplant, which we could not afford. We had to beg for money from everyone around us. There was no stone left unturned where we didn’t have to spread our hands to ask for money to save our boy. Although I was matched as a donor for his transplant, we had no means of affording the procedure.”

Diganth was being treated at Narayana Health and his treating physician Dr. Sunil Bhat, Director & Clinical Lead, of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, referred his case to DKMS BMST Foundation India. DKMS-BMST considered his case and supported him under the Patient Funding program and he successfully underwent his Haploidentical Bone Marrow transplant in September 2021. Today Diganth is doing well and studying in 4th standard.

About the program

Under the DKMS-BMST Patient Funding program, DKMS-BMST closely cooperates with other non-profit organizations and transplant centers by contributing towards the cost of stem cell transplantation for Indian patients who would otherwise not receive adequate treatment. There are a few government schemes set up to help these patients financially, but sometimes they are not enough to cover the complete cost of treatment.

Patrick Paul, CEO of, DKMS-BMST says, “We have the goal to improve the situation of Indian patients by supporting them through the DKMS-BMST Patient Funding and Thalassemia programs. To achieve l, we have created an effective and streamlined program structure, so we can help as many patients in need as possible. We help these patients by covering a part of the treatment cost, so they can receive the treatment on time. Our collaboration partners have a proven track record of low-cost and high-quality transplantation. Further, patients and their relatives receive assistance in searching for other funding sources to cover the treatment and related costs.”

All funding requests are evaluated by DKMS-BMST against a set of pre-defined socio-economic criteria. Furthermore, a Medical Advisory Committee is formed consisting of experienced transplant physicians. They provide their view on the appropriateness of the suggested treatment plan, and the chances of this treatment leading to a significant improvement in the concerned patients’ survival post-treatment. The decision on funding is based on the medical opinion of the Medical Advisory Committee.

With an overwhelming population of over 1.38 billion and a huge burden of such life-threatening diseases, with these programs we strive to continue helping as many patients as we can and further support our initiative towards creating a healthier India.

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Unveiled its enhanced portfolio the Non-DICOM printer – APEOS along with its service & support mobile application “FUJIFILM Connect”

Showcased a wide range of healthcare Imaging solutions devices to support the radiology fraternity

INDIA: FUJIFILM India, a pioneer in healthcare imaging and information systems, announced the expansion of its product and solutions portfolio at the 75th National Conference of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA). During the four-day long conference, scheduled from 2nd – 5th February 2023 at Amritsar, FUJIFILM India unveiled revolutionary diagnostic machines. The new range includes the ultrasound system Arietta 850 DeepInsight and Arietta 650 DeepInsight along with the new MRI machine APERTO Lucent Non-DICOM printer APEOS. Additionally, the company also introduced the “FUJIFILM Connect” service & support mobile applications.

The APERTO Lucent is a new-age, Prime open MRI device which is equipped with IP-RAPID – a modern-day technique that reduces scan times while maintaining high image quality by employing under-sampling and image reconstruction with iterative processing which will result in Improved image quality with higher spatial resolution. The design of APERTO Lucent will provide high-speed solutions combined with a better patient experience.

Launched at IRIA 2023, the Arietta 850 DeepInsight and Arietta 650 DeepInsight are the latest ultrasound technology offering from FUJIFILM India. The new imaging brand “DeepInsight” consists of 5 elements Accuracy, Reproducibility, Visibility, Efficiency & Utilization of AI. The Utilization of AI means achieving an enhanced level of diagnostic image quality by the new technology which utilizes AI and it is “DeepInsight Technology”. We believe that the new imaging brand “DeepInsight” can overcome the challenges our customers face, such as noisy images, examiner and patient dependencies, etc. “DeepInsight” can let clnincian achieve a more confident diagnoses by delivering these 5 essential elements. The combination of the “DeepInsight Technology” as well as our existing core technology of “refocusing” and “Carving Imaging” allows us to produce the ideal ultrasound image.

The FDX Visionary-DR launched at IRIA 2023 is a bone density scanner that will support for a wide range of solutions for Bone Densitometry and Body Composition Analysis. The product is an advanced system using 2D-Fan Beam technology to perform fast and high image quality examinations. It offers good Connectivity features where multiple users on different workstations can quickly import or export exams through DICOM from FDX Visionary-DR to the PACS and RIS. It is positioned to provide a comfortable diagnostic experience for both patients and practitioners.

Also introduced at the exhibition was the APEOS medical printer which is a compact multifunction and single-function A4 Laser Printer. This easy-to-manage & control printer is Powerful and Multi-feature oriented, combined with a high-yield toner cartridge & a fast-printing capacity. Available with numerous versatile features, this is compatible with ultrasound and endoscopy, non-DICOM images.

The Fujifilm Healthcare, Service & Support Mobile App “FUJIFILM Connect” was also launched at this event by dignitaries & committee members of IRIA. The mobile app is a one-stop solution to manage the service and support of Fujifilm Healthcare products. Made with the latest User Interface standards, the mobile app will have sections of “My Products” that will store details of the products used, “Raise tickets” to register a complaint from the app along with “Explore Products” where customers can explore the range of FUJIFILM healthcare products and enquire to buy them as well. The effort is to enhance the convenience and the user experience of customers.

As part of the event, FUJIFILM India also displayed its latest healthcare medical devices like Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) – Amulet Innovality, Healthcare IT: Synapse PACS, USG – Arietta and FDR: X-air. The cutting-edge Amulet Innovality is a highly advanced breast cancer diagnostic tool that enables women to experience early detection of breast cancer. The SYNAPSE PACS improves efficiency and workflow whilst enhancing access to patient data. The Arietta Series of Ultrasound is designed to provide high-quality imaging across a broad clinical range that includes abdominal, cardiac, and vascular applications ensuring enhanced accuracy and safety to transform ultrasound diagnosis. Ultralight, compact, battery-powered, and portable digital X-ray machine, FDR Xair helps combine deep learning in its artificial intelligence (AI) technology with Fujifilm’s image processing heritage.

Milind Soman, Brand Ambassador for Healthcare and Instax Division, FUJIFILM India said, “Health should always be a primary concern for everyone. A healthy physique is significant for quality living and the best defense against numerous diseases in the world. I extend my strong support to FUJIFILM India for contributing towards a healthy future for people and providing them with quality healthcare, which is a powerful weapon for the early detection of curable diseases. It is an honor to be associated with a leading imaging brand to support them in this cause which envisions raising awareness around the early screening of diseases and making the world a healthy place.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Chander Shekhar Sibal, Executive Vice President & Head of the Medical Division at FUJIFILM India said, “Today’s healthcare enterprises are entirely focused on improving the quality of healthcare and FUJIFILM India has always been at the forefront of healthcare innovation and advanced imaging solutions keeping in mind the industry needs. With the new launches at IRIA, our aim is to provide high-value healthcare imaging solutions using cutting-edge technologies as digitalization and AI in healthcare become more prevalent. We are honored to present our diverse range of medical systems at this year’s IRIA. We created these technologies to provide patients with comfortable and efficient procedures while also assisting clinicians in providing the best possible patient outcomes.”

FUJIFILM India has consistently pushed forward to improve healthcare diagnostic standards, helping to make the world better and fitter. As a result, FUJIFILM India is continually using technology to produce forward-thinking medical equipment and technologies in order to construct a line of medical care that will strengthen the country’s medical infrastructure and provide healthcare facilities to millions of people. FUJIFILM is committed to providing Indians with the most cost-effective diagnostic technologies available. Its technical and innovative prowess is unrivaled in the business, and with each passing year, it cements its position as the industry’s pioneer in medical imaging and other diagnostic services.

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The Urological Society of India (USI) was formed in 1960. Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni said, “It is a great honor to be elected as the President of the Urological Society of India, which is a prestigious society. Indian urologists are world leaders in kidney stone surgery, urethral stricture surgery, and robotic surgery. My aim is to make India a learning hub for the rest of the world and to represent India internationally”.

Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni is the third person from Pune to be elected as USI President after Dr. S S Bapat and Dr. Dipak Kirpekar. Dr. Kukarni succeeded Dr. Ravindra Sabnis as the USI President.

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With the objective of creating awareness and providing training, especially to the First Responders, Hon’ble Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik in collaboration with Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, Odisha, Sri Jagannatha Service Foundation (President, Abhinav Krishna Jasthi), American Heart Association and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Bhubaneswar) inaugurated a statewide project of Mass Hands-Only CPR training program with AED demonstration at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India on February 2, 2023.

During his address, Mr. Patnaik applauded the role played by the various organizations involved with the initiative of saving precious lives. Mr. Krishna Kishore Jasthi, Principal Director of Income Tax (Investigation), Odisha, who is the chief coordinator of the project, welcomed the participants, and explained the objectives of the ground-breaking project, “Saving Lives with Bystander CPR” in Odisha.

The project was initiated by Dr. Vemuri S Murthy, an Indo-US resuscitation expert and an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Vemuri S Murthy spoke on the importance of community CPR training and thanked the Hon’ble Chief Minister for his vision and support for the statewide lifesaver project. He gave a live demonstration of Hands-only CPR and AED on a manikin for the Hon’ble Chief minister with an Indo-US AHA volunteer team of Dr. Maheshwar Parvat and Mr. Dennis McCauley.

The 9-hour long program trained nearly 2,400 participants, including 1,000 police personnel, 600 women students from R D Women’s College and Sri Sathya Sai College for Women, and participants from other organizations. The plan is to train 200,000 people in the state of Odisha by the end of 2025 with the potential to save thousands of lives in Odisha. The participants received Community Bystander informational pamphlets in Oriya and “Healthy Heart” informational flyers from the American Heart Association with participation certificates.

The participants were given a brief presentation of “Heart Disease Among Women” as part of the program by Dr. Pavitra Kotini-Shah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Indo-US Faculty team was honored at the conclusion of the program.

The well-organized Mass CPR program involving hundreds of volunteers was commended by the participants. Ongoing Odisha stateside programs will be planned soon, the organizers announced here.

“Efforts to raise awareness of heart disease and promoting “Healthy Heart” lifestyles is essential,” Dr. Murthy said. “Given the fact that South Asians tend to have more heart problems, it is presumed that the incidence of Sudden Cardiac Arrests might be higher in them compared to the general population in the United States. Immediate Bystander CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) with early use of an AED can double or triple the chances of their survival. Needless to say, a concerted effort is needed to achieve the goals by all involved stakeholders, Governmental and non-Governmental, with individual participation.”

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While 79% of men overall were found with lower-than-desirable levels of vitamin D in their bodies, for women, the figure was 75%.

Vadodara (89%) and Surat (88%) were found to have the highest and Delhi-NCR the lowest (72%) incidence of vitamin D deficiency among all the cities from where the data was collected.

Interestingly, younger people were found to be much more affected by Vitamin D deficiency compared to the national average, an analysis of Tata 1mg data found. Its prevalence was highest in the age group below 25 years (84%), followed by 25–40 years (81%).  

All-India data on Vitamin D levels based on analysis of 2.2 lakh samples between March-August 2022:

City-wise incidence of vitamin-D deficiency across 27 cities in India

Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is essential to the growth, development, metabolism, immunity, bone health, and mental health of people. Its deficiency has been linked to health disorders such as prostate cancer, depression, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and rickets.

Said Dr. Rajeev Sharma, VP, Medical Affairs, Tata 1mg: “Changing food habits and an indoor lifestyle with inadequate exposure to sunlight have led to a drastic increase in cases of vitamin D deficiency.  The much higher prevalence in young adults can also be attributed to lower consumption of vitamin D-containing foods like fortified cereals and oily fish. However, seasonal variations in exposure to sunlight can also be a likely explanation, especially during winter. Unspaced and unplanned pregnancies in women with dietary deficits can lead to worsening of vitamin D status in both mother and child.”

Said Dr. Prashant Nag, Clinical Head, Tata 1mg Labs: “Vitamin D levels should be checked regularly in cases of obesity, mal-absorption syndrome or softening of the bones (osteomalacia), or if the patient is getting treatment for TB. Vitamin D levels can also be checked along with regular full-body checkups, which are recommended to be done every six months or at least once a year. Infants and children under the age of five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, teenagers and young women, people over the age of 65, and those with limited sun exposure are the most vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency.”

The human skin hosts a type of cholesterol that functions as a precursor to vitamin D. When exposed to UV-B radiation from the sun, it turns into vitamin D. Having enough exposure to sunlight and consuming foods rich in vitamin D such as egg yolks, oily fish, red meat, and fortified foods can help prevent the deficiency.

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The launch of Sacubitril +Valsartan– under the brand name, ‘Sacu V’– brings down the cost of treatment for heart failure.

PUNE: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Glenmark), an innovation‐driven, global pharmaceutical company, launched the sacubitril + valsartan tablets in India, for the treatment of heart failure. Marketed under the brand name ‘Sacu V’, it must be taken twice daily under a doctor’s prescription. Its approved indication is to reduce the risk of cardiovascular-related deaths and hospitalizations for patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA class II-IV) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

On the occasion of this launch, Alok Malik, EVP & Business Head‐ India Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., said, “Heart failure is growing in India at an alarming rate; its prevalence is about 1% and affects around 8-10 million individuals1,2. With the launch of Sacu V, we are proud to bring to the patients an advanced and affordable treatment option, which has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization and to improve symptoms associated with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)3.”

The sacubitril-valsartan combination belongs to the class ARNI (Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor). These molecules have two therapeutic targets in the treatment of heart failure: 1) the natriuretic peptide (NP) system for sacubitril and 2) Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) for valsartan. The use of sacubitril+valsartan has established a role in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and has been endorsed by the latest heart failure treatment guidelines in Europe4 and the USA5.

Glenmark’s Sacu V is priced at INR 19 per tablet for adose of 50mg (sacubitril 24mg + valsartan 26mg), INR 35 per tablet for a dose of 100mg (sacubitril 49mg + valsartan 51mg), and INR 45 per tablet for a dose of 200mg (sacubitril 97mg + valsartan103mg).

According to IQVIA sales data (SSA MAT Dec. 2022) for the 12‐month period ending December 2022, the total cardiology market is estimated to be INR 20,730 Cr.; with an annual growth of 7.7% against the corresponding period last year (MAT Dec. 2021). The ARNI market (sacubitril+ valsartan) is estimated to be INR 514 Cr; with an annual growth of 37.2%.

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PUNE: Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases which requires expensive treatment. But in a ray of hope for oral cancer patients, Dr. Vijay Kanuru, a bio-nano scientist with Oncocur, has developed an advanced cost-effective nanomedicine for the treatment of early-stage oral cancer and oral cancer prevention.

The effectiveness of this medicine – ‘BRECAN’, developed using nano curcumin, was documented during the clinical trials and has been featured by a leading medical journal – Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, brought out by the Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

This was revealed by Dr. Vijay Kanuru during a Press Conference held in the city.

Dr. Kanuru is an alumnus of SPPU (Savitribai Phule Pune University) and he did his master’s from here before completing his Ph.D. at Cambridge University, UK. He has also studied at Stanford Medical School, USA.

“India has the highest number of oral cancer cases. Oral cancer accounts for 30 percent of all types of cancer in the country, as 20 people per 1 lakh population are affected by oral cancer. Over five people in India die every hour due to oral cancer and hence my goal was to develop an advanced nanomedicine for the prevention of oral cancer,” Dr. Kanuru said.

“There was no nano formulation developed exclusively for oral cancer,” he emphasized.

According to Dr. Vijay Kanuru, the clinical trials were held on 30 patients, who were having an early stage of oral cancer and the results were extremely positive.

“There was a decrease in size of the lesion, number of lesions, downstaging of the disease, and increase in serum Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) levels. The patients also experienced pain relief. It also helped in improving quality of life,” Dr. Vijay Kanuru said, adding the patients, on whom the clinical trial was held, were not given any chemo drugs.

He also said BRECAN treats early-stage cancerous lesions without the use of potent steroids which are harmful.

“It can also prevent relapses and reduces the dependency on toxic chemo and painful radiation therapies during and after the cancer treatments. It is also helpful to prevent relapse of cancer,” Dr. Vijay Kanuru added.

He further said there were no side effects of the medicine, which is extremely cost-effective and is priced at Rs 1,500 for 60 capsules.

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