The success of a country’s healthcare systems is dictated by its ability to reach the last mile, to infuse hope in remotest corners and to provide low-cost antidotes to the most pressing problems of the people.

In the TBI Health Changemakers category, we celebrate the doctors who have innovated ingenious but simple solutions to tackle India’s crises while being sensitive to the needs of the cultures that they are attempting to present these solutions to.

As part of Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation — a tribute to the dreamers and doers driving change across nine key areas of impact — we spotlight five remarkable doctors whose work is shaping a more inclusive and empowered India.

1. Dr Sudhir Srivastava

The skyrocketing cost of some surgeries often causes patients to opt out.

To prevent this, Dr Sudhir Srivastava developed a surgical robot, SSI Mantra, which assists doctors in conducting complex surgeries with precision and ease, reducing costs by one-third compared to manual surgeries.

As the founding chairman of Alliance Hospital, a centre for cardiovascular disease in West Texas, Dr Sudhir had the opportunity to resort to robotic surgeries, which saw 30 percent of patients go home in a day. He wanted to bring this to India.

Since its launch in 2022, the system has already assisted doctors in performing 500 successful surgeries in India.

2. Dr Ratan Chandra Kar

The Jarawa tribe are spread across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is known for its hunting, gathering and forest-based traditions. They are hostile to anyone infringing upon their land.

So, when Dr Ratan Chandra Kar ventured into their territory in 1988 on the behest of the Government, he knew he would have to break the ice with them before he offered them medical service.

© The Better India