(Port Louis, Mauritius) - The Apollo Bramwell Hospital, the hi-tech tertiary care hospital based at Moka, will soon set up an advanced department to diagnose and treat cancer. The cancer mortality rate in Mauritius is taking important second position after the cardiovascular death rate and is in the same trend as in the world. In Mauritius, cancer is responsible for around 10% of the mortality rate.
Says Dr Miodrag Todorovic, Chief Quality Clinician at Apollo Bramwell: “We are determined to embark a new program in oncology where the early detection of the disease is a must for the best treatment outcome.”
Apollo Bramwell Hospital (ABH), as part of its initial plan, now proposes to expand its existing super specialty hospital with Radiation Oncology for the benefit of the population in Mauritius and the region. The Hospital is currently providing facilities in Medical and Surgical Oncology.
“Considering the prevalence of cancer incidence in the region and the migration of patients to other regions outside Mauritius for the radiation therapy, there is a significant demand for advanced treatment facilities for cancer patients,” says Dr Todorovic. The proposed Oncology Unit will be located on the existing site of Apollo Bramwell Hospital and attached to the main building via an enclosed walkway.
The Cancer Unit will use the Oncology model at Apollo Hospitals India as it is considered to be best-equipped facility in terms of the latest diagnostic and curative equipment. It will be a fully fledged cancer treatment centre and offer diagnostic and palliative treatment using painless techniques for all types of cancer occurring in Mauritius and the region. Facilities in this building will include surgical cancer treatment in the two new modern theaters connected to the existing telemedicine lines.
“The point of uniqueness will be in the fact that the Apollo Bramwell’s existing wellness program is already able to determine an early cancer beginning in every individual who comes for executive check up, for the most common cancers; breast or ovarian and cervical cancer in women and the prostate or lung cancer in men. With this new development in oncology, Apollo Bramwell offer a comprehensive care for malignancies contributing that way to further improvement of the health sector in Mauritius,” says Dr Todorovic.
By the complexity of setup for cancer treatment, this disease is very expensive, a burden for the society, and a disaster for patients and their families. Yet an early detection of any cancer may raise chance for cure and we talk of curability of many cancers.
“This is why an early detection will help the Hospital team to implement the minimally invasive treatments with the best outcomes,” he adds. “Nonetheless, further diagnostic and advanced technology, such as Linear Accelerators, Brachytherapy equipment, CT simulator and other high end instruments including Gamma Camera for Nuclear Medicine will also be made available in the new centre.”
Staff will be a blend of local consultants and nurses as well as Oncology Specialists and Specialist Nurses from India. Construction of the Unit is scheduled to start in a few months and is expected to be operational by September 2010.
About Apollo Bramwell Hospital
The 200-bed, multi-specialty hospital, in Moka, in the centre of the island, is a joint venture between leading Mauritian business group, British American Investment Co. (Mtius) ltd, and India’s healthcare giant, Apollo Hospitals Group. The new hospital houses centers of excellence in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, nephrology and ophthalmology, neonatology and pediatrics, trauma and cosmetic surgery. As a centre of medical excellence in the region, the new hospital is equipped to welcome patients from both Mauritius and overseas.
About BA Investment
Based in Mauritius, British American Investment Co. (Mtius) Ltd is a fast-moving investment group with holdings in financial services, transportation, construction and property development, tourism, trade and commerce, and healthcare.
About Apollo Hospitals
Apollo Hospitals Group is the largest healthcare provider in Asia. With more than 7,000 beds in 43 hospitals, a string of nursing and hospital management colleges, and dual lifelines of pharmacies and diagnostic clinics providing a safety net across Asia, Apollo Hospitals is a healthcare powerhouse. |
