Medtronic
announces the opening of the first centre of exellence for device implantation
in south asia in collaboration with care hospital, Hyderabad.
South
Asia’s first centre to help cardiologists through hands on training on implanting
medical devices
Hyderabad,
India - 21st April 2008: Medtronic today announced the opening of the First
Centre of Excellence for Device Implantation in South Asia in collaboration with
CARE Hospital, Hyderabad. CARE Hospital at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, one of India’s
premier institute, is the first centre in South Asia to offer hands on training
to cardiologists. Physicians will be trained on dual chamber pacemaker therapy
and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT implants through hands on experience
and under the expert guidance of renowned Electro Physiologist, Dr C Narasimhan.
India with a population of more than 1 Billion, has very few ICD and CRT
implanting centers compared to US or Europe and most of the skilled cardiologists
in India are only based in major metropolitan locations.
The number
of patients who are indicated for these devices are far greater than the actual
number of patients implanted. The reason for this is:
- The number
of cardiologists that have expertise in device implantation is very low
- The low awareness amongst physicians and patients of these latest medical
device therapies and their benefits
Padmasri
Dr B. Soma Raju, Chairman & Managing Director, CARE Group of Hospitals says, “We
are happy to partner with Medtronic in setting up the first Centre of Excellence
in Device Implantation in India. Our objective at CARE Hospitals is to integrate
the Science, Technology & Art of Medicine in the best interest of the patients
we serve. To achieve this we need to practice medicine as an integrated team of
Caring, Competent, Physicians, Nurses, Scientists, Administration and allied of
Health Professionals who single-mindedly focuses on the needs of the patients
from all communities and regions. This initiative from Medtronic company will
help to realize the goal.
Milind Shah – Managing Director, India Medtronic
says, “In order to bring the benefit of hands on training in India, Medtronic
formed an alliance with the CARE group of hospitals to provide the training.”
He further added, “Medtronic is committed to providing leading edge education
to medical professionals, since training and education is key to ensuring safe,
appropriate and efficient use of the company’s highly innovative devices and therapies.
By partnering with organizations in the areas of health, education and community
welfare, Medtronic is committed to finding innovative ways to help increase impact
of medical technology to those who need it the most. Medtronic is keen on setting
up more such training centers in other parts of India so that more patients can
quickly benefit from modern day device therapies.”
Dr Narasimhan - Faculty,
Head of Electrophysiology Dept CARE Hospitals and President Indian Society of
Electrocardiographers (ISE) says, “Keeping in mind the high skills required in
this rapidly expanding and evolving field, we have designed a series of didactic
and practical training modules to ensure that physicians receive a quality of
care unmatched in the industry. The centre and the courses offered here will be
dedicated to providing physicians with a variety of training options that keep
them ahead of the technology curve. We also like to welcome cardiologist from
across the globe”
About Cardiac Arrhythmias and Heart Failure
A slow or fast heart beat than the normal heart rhythm are arrhythmias. However
the awareness of Cardiac Arrhythmias is very low. Some of the cardiac arrhythmia
for eg: Ventricular Fibrillation are very fatal and may lead to immediate death.
Most conditions of cardiac arrhythmia are best managed by implanting a device
like a pacemaker or ICD.
Chronic heart failure occurs when the heart
is unable to pump enough blood to sustain adequate circulation in the body’s tissues.
It is one of the leading cause of hospitalization worldwide. A CRT is a device
which is used to manage patients who have moderate to severe heart failure with
ventricular dyssynchrony and poor ejection fraction. Various clinical studies
have indicated that CRT improves the pumping capability of the heart as well as
offers mortality benefits to the patient.
Medical devices are playing
an increasing role in the management of various cardiac diseases. The pacemaker
was invented almost 50 years back and since then these devices have come a long
way. Today ICDs and CRTs have also clearly demonstrated great benefits to the
patients.
About CARE Group of Hospitals
Started
in 1997 by a team of medical professionals lead by Padmasri Dr. B. Soma Raju,
an eminent cardiologist. CARE Hospital which is known for good medical practices
has grown from one hospital to 12 in number. From 100 beds a decade ago, CARE
Hospitals today has 1600 beds across India. In addition developing a scalable
delivery network at tertiary, secondary, and primary levels, CARE is establishing
models for healthcare education & training. CARE has six branches in Andhra Pradesh,
two in Maharashtra and one each in Chattisgarh, Orissa and Gujarat.
About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com),
headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating
pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.
Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
such as those described in Medtronic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended April 27, 2007. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.
