Robotic surgery expands to tier 2-3 cities in India

Robotic surgeries hitherto limited to metropolises are now expanding to tier 2 and tier 3 cities like Jaipur and Patna and even they are available in a roaming mobile bus format

/ PATNA

‘Telesurgery-on-wheels, a mobile robotic bus service was launched in Gurugram last week. (Sourced pic)

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) will start surgery by robots from August 16, taking a new leap in the Indian medical landscape a notch forward. In Delhi and its surrounding national capital region, it has evolved into a mobile robotic surgery service where a bus roams in various parts and patients can book in advance to get their surgeries done.

This innovative “telesurgery-on-wheels” initiative was unveiled last week in Gurugram by Haryana’s minister Rao Narbir Singh.

It’s been developed by SSI Innovations, an indigenous medical tech firm. Through live simulations, interactive training modules, and guided demonstrations, it offers surgeons, medical students, and healthcare stakeholders a first-hand experience. This initiative marks a step towards increasing awareness and acceptance of robotic surgery in India - particularly by making cutting-edge surgical technologies more accessible to tier two and tier three cities.

In Patna, Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey announced the arrival of robotic surgery at IGIMS which is a premier medical institution in Patna.

The SSI Innovations that has developed the “telesurgery-on-wheels” or SSI MantraM “Made in India” Surgical Robot Yatra was first flagged off to Jaipur to tour Rajasthan. It made live demonstrations at various hospitals in Jaipur, Udaipur and Ajmer.

Dr Sudhir Srivastava, Founder Chairman & CEO of SS Innovations, and the brain behind the “telesurgery-on-wheels”, told PTI, “It is more than just a mobile robotic training and demonstration unit, it is a national movement to democratise and decentralise access to world-class surgical education and innovation. As it embarks on its multi-city roadshow, it showcases India’s indigenous strength in surgical robotics while breaking geographic barriers to healthcare.”