Nagpur: Maharashtra Government on the floor of the House during ongoing Budget Session announced provision of Rs 21crore to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for setting up a Robotic Surgery unit. MLC Pravin Datke pursued the matter with the Government.
On Tuesday he raised the issue through a starred question and the Government gave a positive response. The issue was pending for the last three years. At first Rs16.80 crore were sanctioned for the unit. The price of the unit increased to Rs 20 crore. Accordingly the fund was allocated to Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Limited (The agency set up to allocate funds to Government Medical Colleges in State to buy medicines and equipment) through District Mining Corporation.
Unfortunately, during the regime of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government, the issue was completely ignored. Datke pursued the matter by sending several letters to the Government. The contract of the Robotic Surgery Unit will be given to the well-known company from USA -Da Vinci Surgical System. Da Vinci has expertise in this segment as for the last more than 21 years, the company has been manufacturing such innovative products.
Meanwhile, after the rap by Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court, the Haffkine Bio-pharmaceutical Institute has placed an order for the much awaited Robotic Surgery machine for Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Nagpur a couple of days ago. Earlier this month, the HC had ordered Managing Director Abhimanyu Kale of Haffkine to ensure the robotic machinery was in place at GMCH by March 15, 2023.
Haffkine has placed the purchase order with the US firm and paid Rs 20 crore sanctioned from the district mineral funds. As the equipment is being imported, 12 weeks time is needed for the procedures and shipment to arrive. The respondent is likely to inform the HC about the date of arrival, as it is not possible to meet the HC deadline of March 15.
The robot would be set up in the Department of Surgery at GMCH, which would be the first medical teaching institute in Maharashtra to have the technology. Only private corporate hospitals have robotic machines in the state while in Central India no hospital has it. A robotic surgery costs around Rs 5 lakh in the private sector. The painless technique will be free of cost at GMCH, where mainly below poverty line or low-income groups seek treatment, coming from different parts of Maharashtra and neighbouring states.
