|
Straight
Talk
"India
needs to improve on infrastructure in cardiac care"
 |
Dr
Floyd Loop, chairman and CEO of Cleveland Clinic
Foundation,
US |
In
recent times, India has been witnessing a spate of superspeciality
heart hospitals, which harp on the fact that Indians
have high prevalence of cardiac disease. Are we creating
an unnecessary hype to promote superspecialty hospitals?
No,
I don’t see this as a hype. Over 5 million Indians
were affected by heart disease in 2001. India is projected
to be number one in heart disease by 2005, which is much
higher than any other country.
Over
1.6 million patients in India die due to heart ailments.
A
treatment in superspeciality hospital in the US is affordable
with health being covered by medical insurance. But in
India, where health is still a private domain, the expenses
of superspecialty hospital is unaffordable to the common
man. Comment.
India
has a population of more than a billion, and even if superspecialty
hospital targets the upper section of society, that would
mean a sizeable chunk of the population with heart ailments
would be cured. About treatment not being available to
the common man, most of these hospitals have a charitable
wing, whereby the cost of the expenditure is considerably
slashed.
Recently,
the Rs 1000 million Asian Heart Institute and Research
Centre, modelled on the US-based Cleveland Clinic Foundation
opened its door.. In what ways is AHIRC is modelled after
Cleveland Clinic?
Cleveland
Clinic, deemed as one of the best cardiac centres in the
US, has advised AHIRC in developing world class equipment,
facility, and state of the art technology. We have also
suggested this concept of full time team of dedicated
doctors to AHIRC. We have not charged AHIRC for our advice.
We do not have any financial tie-ups with AHIRC. We would
only have an academic exchange with AHIRC and help them
with research, if AHIRC wish to. Doctors of AHIRC can
also have e-consultation with doctors of Cleveland.
Has
the flow of Indian pateints going to the US for cardiac
treatment increased or decreased with the passage of time?
Over
the years, the flow of patients to the US has decreased.
Indians go more to the European countries than US for
treatment. The establishment of more superspecialty hospitals
like AHIRC would definitely lessen tide more.
What
is your opinion about cardiac care in India?
Indian
surgeons that I have come across and interacted with are
good. In 1982, when I had come for to operate in Trivandrum,
the infrastructure was not so encouraging. Today, the
infrastructure has improved, however, India needs to improve
more on that front.
-Rita
Dutta |
