Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 11 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the state's first robotic-assisted surgery at Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital (IGMC), Chamiyana and announced that the state government plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore by 2030 towards upgrading medical technology in hospitals statewide.
Sukhu also assured that all vacant posts at IGMC would be filled promptly.
"We are going to provide AIIMS-level medical technology in super-specialist hospitals. By 2030, 3000 crore rupees will be spent on medical technology...If we provide good technology, patients living in villages can receive better treatment... We have decided that the vacant posts at IGMC will be filled," he said.
IGMC has become the first government health institution in the State to perform high-end procedures of robotic surgery, an official release said.
A resident of Khalini in district Shimla, suffering from prostate-related ailment, became the first patient to undergo robotic surgery in the State. A team comprising Dr Anant Kumar, Dr Pamposh Raina and Dr Pawan Kaundal successfully performed the first robotic surgery.
According to the doctors, the procedure took almost three hours, whereas in routine surgery it could have taken at least five hours. There was no blood loss from the patient during the operation, but the conventional procedure would have required four units of blood.
According to them, the patient is expected to be discharged from the hospital within 3-4 days, as compared to the 8-10 days' requirement in traditional operation. The Chief Minister extended his felicitations to the team for successfully conducting the robotic surgery.
The patient's attendant said that the operation was successful. He added that robotic surgery is a world-class technology for operations in the medical sector, and the family was grateful to the Chief Minister and the State Government for introducing this latest technology in the government medical institution.
He said that with the introduction of the facility, there will be no need to go out of the State to receive such high-end treatment.
Dr Kailash Bharwal, consultant in the Urology department, stated that this is the beginning of a new era in the medical history of the State as Chamiyana Hospital has become the first institution to conduct robotic surgery.
He said that robotic surgery enables doctors to operate with precision and accuracy, and the blood loss of the patient during surgery is minimal. He said that after undergoing robotic surgery, the patient can resume his routine much sooner, as it helps in the early recovery of the patient.
Robotic surgery uses highly advanced robotic arms that filter out natural hand tremors, allowing surgeons to make extremely fine and steady movements. It also helps in improved accuracy when working near delicate structures like nerves and blood vessels.
Most robotic surgeries use smaller incisions as compared to traditional surgeries. Smaller incisions generally mean less scarring and better outcomes.