After Costly Private Treatment, Patients Find Free Robotic Surgery at NIMS a Saviour
With only small bandages on their abdomen, they were resting comfortably in their beds.
Hyderabad:Patients shifted to the general ward a day after undergoing robotic surgeries at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) said they had initially spent huge amounts of money at private hospitals before turning to the government hospital, where doctors equipped with world-class robotic technology became their saviours.
With only small bandages on their abdomen, they were resting comfortably in their beds.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Rathod Kishan, a private company employee, said, "I had unbearable pain in my abdomen and consulted local doctors. They advised me to undergo an ultrasound scan. After the scan, they told me that I had kidney stones and that one of my kidneys was damaged. Later, I visited the Nims where doctors also confirmed that my kidney had to be removed."
"My kidney has now been removed. The doctors told me that I do not require any medication and that I can lead a normal life with a single kidney. I am thankful because we belong to a middle-class family. I have two brothers — my younger brother is still studying, while my elder brother works in agriculture with the family. We did not have to pay any money for the surgery," he added.
These surgeries are part of the milestone of 1,000 robotic surgeries performed at NIMS.
The department of urology alone has performed 590 robotic surgeries across various age groups, ranging from one-year-old children to patients over 80 years of age. The procedures include highly complex surgeries such as radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer and radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, said Dr Ram Reddy, head of the department of urology.
"We bought the robotic surgical system three years ago for `32 crore. The annual maintenance costs around `1 crore. Every procedure has an amount quoted for it ranging from `1 lakh in Aarogyasri to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF). Patients often come to us very late because they do not undergo regular ultrasound examinations, which should ideally be included in annual health check-ups," he said.
Another patient's son, Rajendra Prasad, whose 60-year-old mother underwent robotic surgery, said, "We spent nearly `1 lakh on treatment for what doctors initially said was a uric acid problem at a private hospital in Hanamkonda. Later, they told us that we would have to pay even more. Since we had no money left, they advised us to go to NIMS."
"My mother had severe body pain, and we initially believed it was because of high uric acid levels. At NIMS, doctors informed us that her kidney had been damaged and needed to be removed. Nobody here asked us to pay even a single rupee," he said.