JJ Hospital proposes including robotic, bariatric surgery in MJPJAY scheme

Officials added that robotic arm surgeries have led to minimal blood loss, which would make them a valuable addition to the scheme

Mumbai: State run JJ hospital has sent a proposal to the Maharashtra government to include their newly introduced robotic arm surgeries and bariatric surgery in the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) scheme which benefits ration card holders.

Dean of JJ Hospital Ajay Bhandarwar said that there is a current cap of 500 free surgeries using the robotic arm, after which each procedure will range between ₹1- ₹1.5 lakh, and ₹2 lakh for bariatric surgery. (HT)

In April, the hospital introduced robotic arm surgery for laparoscopic procedures, those involving a thin telescope-like instrument with a camera to view and operate on the inside of the abdomen and pelvis through small incisions. Since then, they have done over 80 such successful procedures, said hospital officials.

Officials added that robotic arm surgeries have led to minimal blood loss, which would make them a valuable addition to the scheme.

Along with this, officials observed an increase in obesity among all patients due to large amounts of preservatives and a lack of nutrition rich food. The hospital has suggested that bariatric surgery, a range of procedures that address obesity by modifying the digestive system, also be included in the MJPJAY scheme to address this issue.

The robotic arm surgeries have been used so far to treat the gall bladder, kidney, hernia, and even address adrenaline related issues with instruments that can move 360 degrees in a precise and efficient manner. Officials say that if such surgeries were included in the scheme they would provide hundreds of patients that need immediate and precise surgeries.

Dean of JJ Hospital Ajay Bhandarwar said that there is a current cap of 500 free surgeries using the robotic arm, after which each procedure will range between ₹1- ₹1.5 lakh, and ₹2 lakh for bariatric surgery. “We hope that this will help the patients coming in as procedures will become affordable,” said Bhandarwar, adding that the disposable materials used in the surgery were what hiked up its prices.

Officials added that the hospital will also soon propose to include radio-frequency procedures, which use radio waves to generate heat, in the MJPJAY scheme due to their efficiency in treating haemorrhoids and piles.